


Sweet Little Secret

by SaraUzumaki01



Series: Sweet Little Secret [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:42:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27890959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraUzumaki01/pseuds/SaraUzumaki01
Summary: Nana was the youngest of her four siblings, and by the age of sixteen, she was disowned by her family...all because of one mistake that changed her life forever. Nana does her best to keep her secret, that is, until Konoha High's bad boy Sasuke Uchiha finds out.
Relationships: Deidara (Naruto)/Original Female Character(s), Uchiha Sasuke/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Sweet Little Secret [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042311
Kudos: 3





	1. 1

If Nana could describe the last year and a half in one word, she would say it has been hell. Her life had been going perfectly, her body was toned out and fit, her hair was well taken care of, she had a caring boyfriend, and had her family. All of that was taken from her though, after her Sweet Sixteen party. 

Her boyfriend had started ghosting her, eventually blocking all form of contact with her, and her mother and father disowned her. They had given Nana enough money to live comfortably until she was finished with High School, but the money was mostly given to make sure Nana never spoke a word about her dirty little secret, to anyone. 

"Alright, everyone settle down! Congratulations on passing your mid-term exams, Class 2-A did a great job this year. Our top three students that scored the highest were Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara and Nana Fujikawa. Remember to keep studying hard, next year you will be actively applying to colleges." Kakashi-Sensei announced to his students, smiling beneath the black cloth mask that usually donned his face. 

Nana sighed as she stretched in her seat, taking a break from sketching on a blank sheet of paper as she waited for the time to pass. Midterms had finally finished for the sophomore students, and winter break was coming up in the next week. Nana was exhausted, and she just wanted the bell to signal the end of the day, to go off already. Nana felt someone nudge her side, grabbing the girl's attention. "Any plans for your break Nana-chan?" Sakura smiled sweetly towards her best friend, having moved over to come and sit with her. Nana smiled and shook her head, "I'm planning on staying home this year, Konoha has some beautiful winters." Sakura nodded in agreement, "My family and I are heading to the hot springs for a couple days, then we are spending the holiday like usual." 

Nana cocked her head to the side at this statement and Sakura giggled, "Naruto, Sasuke and I spend Christmas together with our families. Normally we go out on Christmas Eve though, want to join us this year?" Sakura asked, light gleaming in her eyes as the Pinkette hoped Nana would agree. Nana awkwardly shuffled as she thought of an excuse, "Sorry Sakura-chan, I have plans with my family that night..." Nana lied as she smiled sympathetically towards her friend, seeing the disappointment. The bell rang, cutting any conversations short as students began gathering their belongings and rushing out the door.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto Uzumaki, Konoha's loudest student, shouted as he threw an arm over her shoulder. Sakura sighed in annoyance as she pushed the blonde's arm off, giving the boy a glare. "Naruto, not so loud. How many times do I have to tell you?" Sakura smiled softly as their fingers interlocked, and Naruto gave her a quick peck to the forehead. It was shocking when Nana had first found out that the two were dating, but she'd grown used to it now. 

"Are we still on for our date?" He asked, as they were exiting the school building together. Sakura nodded, as she looked at Nana, "Are you getting a ride today, Nana?" 

Nana's mid-shoulder length chestnut hair moved with the shake of her head, as she pulled her scarf from her bag. "No, I have to catch the bus today." Sakura frowned and looked up at her blonde boyfriend, "Naruto, text Sasuke and ask him to give Nana a ride home, please." Naruto nodded as he pulled out his phone, relaying the message as Nana tried to deny. "Yo-You don't have to d-d-do that Sakura-chan! You know Sasuke-san and I don't get along very well..." Nana mumbled the last bit as she shuffled her foot on the ground shyly. "Nonsense Nana! It's too cold for you to wait out at the bus stop, even Sasuke would tell you that."

"Sasuke said he will be out in a couple minutes, want us to wait with you?" Naruto asked as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, and Nana smiled, "You two head out, you have a date right? I don't want to hold you guys up." Sakura gave the brunette a quick hug before parting with Naruto at her side. "Text me when you get home!" 

Nana sighed, waiting at the entrance of the school, until a familiar mop of raven hair entered her vision. "Hn, let's go." Sasuke stared at her blankly as his coal black eyes scanned her flushed cold face and chestnut hair that was whipping around whenever the wind blew. Nana nodded silently and followed the Uchiha to his flashy navy blue sports car. His family ran a large law firm in Konoha and even had ties to the Konoha Police. "Stop staring and get in." Sasuke grunted as he waited for Nana to enter the car. The brunette hastily made her way into the passenger's side, rubbing her hands together as an attempt to warm them up. Sasuke started the engine and sat back, waiting for the car to warm up, before they could take off. 

Nana hummed as she began to warm up, relieved to be inside a warm vehicle instead of having to stand outside at the bus stop. "Thank you Sasuke-san." Nana spoke softly as she glanced at the emotionless Uchiha beside her. Sasuke just grunted, before he switched gears and put pressure on the gas pedal, setting the vehicle in motion. The car ride was quick, and Nana was grateful to finally be in front of her home. "Once again, thank you for the ride." Nana smiled as she unbuckled the seatbelt, hand grabbing onto the handle. Sasuke grabbed Nana's wrist, stopping her from exiting the car right away, "Hold on." 

Sasuke's eyes looked into Nana's doe-like baby blue eyes, before her eyes shifted to his hand attached to her wrist. "Sasuke-san, can you please release my wrist? Sasuke-sa-" Sasuke interrupted her, "Geez, just call me Sasuke already, there's no need for the formality. Annoying." He muttered the last bit, aggravated at the overly formal interactions the girl always gave him. "Never mind, just go." He released her arm and turned away, waiting for the brunette to shut the car door before he took off quickly. 

Sasuke sighed loudly to himself as he slammed his hands on the top of the steering wheel, thinking about interactions he's had with Nana. She was oblivious, and it was pissing off the young Uchiha. Girls would always throw themselves at him, and when Sasuke would give them a ride home, normally they would offer something in return; usually being a quick heated make out session. However, Nana was different. She didn't throw herself at the Uchiha, and whenever he would make an attempt to show his interest in her, somehow it would backfire. Leading to Nana thinking Sasuke was just putting up with her, because of their shared friends.

Nana smiled as she entered her simple abode, heading into her living room after taking off her jacket, scarf and boots. "Thank you for looking after the place today." Nana humbly bowed as the elderly woman just waved her hand, "Don't be so mushy Nana-chan, it's always nice to be useful these days." Nana laughed as the elderly woman made her way to the entrance, slipping on her thick winter coat, and warm little boots. 

"The little one just went down for a nap before you arrived, make sure you get your homework done while you can. Call me when you need to go to the store, and I'll come watch him again." Nana nodded and grabbed an envelope from the kitchen counter, bringing it back to the woman, "This is for you, there's a bonus in there as well. Enjoy the holiday with your grandson, Lady Chiyo." Chiyo smiled softly at the young woman, giving Nana a gentle pat on the shoulder before heading out. 

Nana's best kept secret was her family's dirtiest secret, one that was very well hidden from outsiders and anyone with prying eyes or ears. One that no one else knew, besides Nana herself, her mother and father, and that of Lady Chiyo; one that had been born, nine months after Nana's sixteenth birthday party. To some, a bastard child, but to Nana, it was her sweet little secret.

A/N: Sequel will be up soon!


	2. 2

Sakura groaned in frustration as she slouched back in her chair, listening to Naruto and Sasuke bicker as usual over their facetime call. A couple days have passed since they started their winter break, and the three were discussing their plans for Christmas Eve, when Sakura brought up the idea of bringing Nana out. "Nana never goes out to any social events, she's missing out!" Naruto exclaimed from his side as he slurped down his fifth ramen cup, earning a shake of the head from both his girlfriend and friend. 

Sasuke on the other hand, just shrugged, "Who cares, we can't force her to come out." Sasuke stated as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, hearing the other two sigh in exasperation. "Nana has no friends besides us, since she transferred to Konoha High last fall. If she just put herself out there more, I bet she'd have tons of friends!" Sakura rambled on, with Naruto nodding in agreement. Sasuke opened his charcoal eyes, staring at the two people who he considered friends.

"Let's not worry about that for now, we need to figure out where we're going this year. Last year we all went to the zoo for the light show and skating." Sasuke shifted the conversation, as he himself came up with an idea on how to handle Nana.

Naruto shouted out as he had an idea, "What about the indoor amusement park, and arcade? They have lots of things to do! And lot's of food to eat! I'm sure we can all have fun there, and we don't have to be outside in the cold!" The blonde grinned cheerfully, and Sasuke and Sakura agreed. "That sounds fun, and there's also the restaurants on the upper level above the arcade, so we can go for dinner?" Sakura suggested and all three came to an agreement. Sasuke heard his mother calling for him, and excused himself from the call before removing himself. Exiting his bedroom, Sasuke headed down the hall, stopping at the staircase where his mother was waiting at the bottom. Her face lit up as she saw her youngest son, "Sasuke-kun, I just got off the phone with Itachi. He'll be coming home for Christmas this year!" Mikoto exclaimed enthusiastically, imagining both her children in the matching sweaters they had received one year.

Sasuke scoffed, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "He said that last year, and then never came. I wouldn't keep your hopes too high." Sasuke mumbled, watching as his mother's cheerful smile changed into a solemn one, almost regretting his words. "I know, but I can't help but to hope. Any parent that loves their children, wants to see them, even if it's for a brief moment." Sasuke nodded, unsure of what to say, but his mother fixed that herself. "What are you kids doing for Christmas Eve next week?" Mikoto asked as her and her son walked towards the kitchen together, Sasuke seating himself at the island as Mikoto poured them some tea. "We are going to the indoor amusement park." Sasuke replied as he grabbed the warm beverage. 

Mikoto hummed as she reminisced back to when her and Fugaku had first started dating, and their first real date at a small travelling carnival. "That sounds like it will be fun!" Mikoto sipped her tea as she thought about all the fun the teens could have there. Sasuke mumbled an agreement, but looked distant as he thought about Nana once more. "Okaa-san, what would you do, to get a friend to come out more?" Sasuke asked quietly, staring into the dark mahogany colored liquid in his cup, his one hand wrapped around the cup while the other tapped anxiously on the counter top. 

Mikoto looked towards her son, catching a slight sight of conflict behind his dark eyes. "That depends on the situation, but if I was going to go have fun with everyone else, I'd want that friend to be there as well; even if we had to force them." Sasuke let out a chuckle, unable to imagine his mother dragging someone out by force. "Thanks, Okaa-san." Sasuke finished his tea silently beside his mother, deciding to make Nana come to their Christmas Eve get together, no matter what. 

Sasuke found himself dialing Sakura's phone number, listening to the dial tone until she answered, "Sasuke-kun, what's up?" Sakura asked as they were once again facetiming. The Uchiha smirked as he looked at Sakura, "I need Nana's number, do you have it?" Sakura gave the raven haired boy a questioning glance before sighing and grabbing a small notebook from her desk. She flipped through the book, before reading off the phone number. "Are you going to tell me why you needed her number?" Sakura asked as she closed the little book, and crossed her arms over her chest, "Hn." Sasuke responded with his usual grunt as Sakura shook her head and glared playfully at her friend, "Alright, you didn't get this from me." Sakura joked as she ended the call and Sasuke saved Nana's contact information in his phone.

He sent Nana a text, leaving no room for argument.

'This is Sasuke.'

'I'll be picking you up at 11am on Christmas Eve, dress casual but comfortable.'

'Also, you can't say no, because I know where you live. ;) '

Nana groaned in frustration as she tossed her phone onto her bed. "Damn him!" she shouted. Nana bit her lip as she thought about bugging the older woman on such a big holiday, guilt eating at her. Nana knew she could ignore Sasuke's texts, but then she risked her secret being exposed to him; if he did follow through and show up at her house, and barge in to drag her out. Neither choice was perfect, but Nana couldn't risk anyone in Konoha High finding out. Glancing at her calendar, Nana reached for her phone, calling Lady Chiyo. 

"Hello? Hi, Lady Chiyo, it's Nana. I know it's a holiday, but can you watch Aki from eleven in the morning, on Christmas Eve?" Nana hesitantly asked as she bit her lower lip anxiously. 

She heard the older woman shuffling around on the other end of the line, before the woman replied, "I can dear, my grandson and his friends won't be arriving until later in the evening." Nana sighed in relief as she felt her pounding heart calming down to a steady rhythm. "Thank you, so much Chiyo-san. I'll be home by five o'clock, maybe even earlier." Nana spluttered out quickly as she wrote on her calendar, so she wouldn't forget.

Nana said her goodbyes to Chiyo before ending the call, listening as tiny cries came through the baby monitor on her bedside table. Walking over to the baby's room, Nana smiled at her one year old, Aki. His beautiful brown hair that curled at the top of his head and his sparkling blue eyes resembled so much of Nana; so much so, that she wasn't painfully reminded of his father all the time. Nana changed Aki from his soiled diaper, then fed the hungry infant as she hummed a lullaby. Motherhood was hard for the first couple of months, especially once Nana went back to school, but Chiyo helped Nana get through it all. 

Chiyo was the only outsider that Nana had opened up to about her family and Aki, as the woman was a veteran in both motherhood and war. Chiyo had been a medic sent out to aid the war when she was younger, and with her only relative living in another city to pursue their career, the elder woman had found herself getting lonely. Then Nana had moved in across the street, all alone, with a baby a couple months old. Chiyo felt compassion to the young girl, and sympathy, offering Nana her help. Everything Chiyo has done for Nana, could never be repaid. Although Nana knew that, she still felt compelled to give the woman some form of payment. 

Nana laid the sleeping infant down in the crib, carefully placing the blanket over their slumbering form. She set the mobile as she gently rocked the crib in a soothing back and forth motion, the music playing softly around the bedroom. 

Silently tiptoeing out of the baby's room, Nana reread the messages Sasuke had sent her, before she sighed in contemplation. 

'Alright.'


	3. Chapter 3

"Awe, Aki looks so cute in that onesie!" Nana gushed as she stared at the baby sitting inside the playpen, wearing his new christmas onesie. It was red with little black and white penguins all over it, and had little booties attached to the ends of the legs. Chiyo chortled at the young mother, before looking towards the clock. "We still have a little bit of time, why don't we take a photo of you two?" The elder woman suggested, walking over to the bookstand to grab the digital camera. 

Nana carefully picked up Aki and adjusted his small chubby body to sit comfortably in her arms, moving over to stand next to the christmas tree together. It was Nana and Aki's second christmas together, and Nana felt bad for leaving to hang out with her friends instead. Aki was still super young, and Nana didn't want to miss anything in his development and growth. Chiyo snapped a couple photos for Nana, and Nana passed Aki towards Chiyo, "Let's get a couple for you too, Chiyo." Chiyo felt her heart swell with emotion as she held onto Aki, holding the child with care as Nana took a couple photos for the older woman. 

'Ding!' 'Dong!'

Chiyo smiled as Nana bit her lip nervously, heading into the entrance hallway to slip her shoes on. "You go out and have fun Nana-chan, I've got things under control here." Chiyo reassured as she placed Aki back down in the playpen before joining Nana in the hallway. Nana's hands were shaking as she took a deep breath, before reaching for the door handle. Nana was nervous, it had been a long time since she had gone out with friends, let alone, a boy. 

As she opened the door, Nana and Chiyo got a good view of the Uchiha boy. Dressed up in a plain black leather jacket, a simple white t-shirt, and some tight medium wash skinny jeans, Sasuke looked great. He was the definition of a "bad boy". Letting out a shaky sigh, Nana shut the door behind her, stepping out onto the cement steps next to Sasuke, "H-Hi..." Nana stuttered out as she looked the raven in the eyes. Sasuke's eyes travelled over her form, taking in her appearance. Nana had put on a small amount of makeup, which seemed to brighten up her face and bring out her baby blue eyes, while her chestnut hair had been slightly curled. Her outfit consisted of some light wash jeggings, paired with a navy blue long sleeve top, and a cream button up cardigan, along with over the knee, black boots. 

"Hey, you got everything?" Sasuke questioned as he shoved his hands into his pockets, a bored look on his face. Nana nodded as she followed the boy to his car, entering the passengers side. Her hands fiddled with the end of her cardigan, as her and Sasuke took off from her house.

"So where are we going?" Nana questioned after they had been driving in silence for almost ten minutes. Sasuke smirked, looking at Nana from the corner of his eyes, "You'll see when we get there." Was his simple reply, irking the young woman. She let out an exasperated groan, slouching against the side of the door, "Great, I'm being kidnapped." She muttered as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand and stared out the window. Sasuke let out a low chuckle, keeping his eyes on the road, "If I was going to kidnap you, I would have tied you up." He smirked as Nana let out a small squeak and smacked his arm, a bewildered look of embarrassment adorning her face. 

'Cute.' Sasuke thought as Nana tuned out the world, catching Sasuke's hidden meaning behind his statement. 'No! No, Nana! No more boys!' Nana mentally scolded herself, finding reasons to stop herself from falling for his bad boy charm. So lost in her thoughts, Nana didn't realize the vehicle had come to a stop. "We're here, Naruto and the others should be inside, waiting just before where the line starts." Sasuke spoke as he took the keys from the ignition, before stepping out of the car. Nana followed, looking at the tall building before her, "An indoor amusement park and arcade?" She asked aloud, while crossing her bag strap over her head. Sasuke locked the car, before passing his keys to Nana, "Do you mind putting these in your bag?"

Nana unzipped her purse, enough for Sasuke's keys to slip through the opening, before zipping the bag back up. "I have a curfew, and have to be back by five o'clock." Nana stated as she and Sasuke approached their group of friends. Nana recognized a few of them, but others were unknown to the young woman. Sakura gasped as she spotted the brunette that was next to Sasuke, pulling on her boyfriend's arm. "Naruto! Look who came!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly, grabbing her boyfriend's attention. Naruto's jaw dropped as she stared at Nana and Sasuke together. "OI! Teme! How did you get Nana to come?!" Naruto shouted towards the Uchiha, earning a smirk in response. Nana nervously clutched her bag strap as she now stood in front of the large group, feeling uncomfortable. Sakura hugged the brunette, "I'm so glad you could make it!" Sakura grinned from ear to ear as she released her brunette friend, looking her up and down, "You really know how to glow up, damn." 

Nana laughed and accepted Sakura's compliments, before being introduced to the rest of the friend group as the teens all lined up. Sasuke had given Nana a day pass, which she used to get into the amusement park, same as the rest of the gang. "Where to first?" Nana asked, and Naruto had a thumb to his chin in thought, "I want to go on the roller coaster!" Lee, Ten Ten, Ino and Sakura had agreed to that suggestion, while some mentioned food, and others mentioned games. 

Sasuke, Nana, Sakura, Naruto and a couple others headed for the roller coaster first, excited to ride the looping death machine. Nana walked behind the group, next to Sasuke. Feeling a small tug on her purse, Nana stopped moving, allowing Sasuke to put his phone and wallet inside her bag as well. "I don't want to lose them on the rides." Sasuke stated as he shut the bag, continuing with their trek up the metal staircase. Nana shook her head, smiling a tiny bit. Sasuke was like a roller coaster when it came to his emotions, and Nana couldn't figure him out. Some days it was like he wanted to be close to her, while other days it was like Nana was the end of his world and he wanted nothing to do with her. As they reached the top, Nana, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura decided to grab the first cart, playing a round of rock, paper, scissors, to see who would get the front seats. Nana cheered as she seated herself at the very front, with Sasuke to her left, and Sakura and Naruto behind them. As the roller coaster inched its way to the peak, Nana's heartbeat quickened, excitement rushing through her veins at the thought of the drop they were about to expect. Laughter and screams filled their ears as the teens went swooping down, up and under, and around the long track, and repeat, before they exited the large contraption. Sakura and Nana giggled as they swayed slightly, walking down the steps, back to the ride grounds. Sasuke was unaffected, while Naruto was clutching his stomach, groaning in pain.

"Dobe..." Sasuke muttered at his friend, keeping his eyes on the brunette a few steps down. It was the first time Sasuke had seen Nana with so much joy, and happiness displayed on her face. It was a look he wish he'd seen and kept all to himself. Naruto caught Sasuke's staring, getting a goofy expression on his face. "Ne, Teme, you like Nana-chan, don't you?" Sasuke looked to the blonde incredulously, "Be quiet, you Dobe!" Shoving his hands into his pockets, Sasuke made his way down the rest of the stairs, "Let's go to the Gravity Wall next." Sasuke stated, leaving the blonde stumbling behind them, "WAIT FOR ME!" 

Nana huffed in exhaustion as she finally seated herself on a bench, staring up at the glass ceiling panels, watching the snowfall outside. It had been a couple hours, and everyone was stopping for some lunch. "Here." Nana opened her eyes to see a silver wrapper in front of her face, which she graciously accepted. "Thanks, Sasuke." Nana opened the wrapper, and bit into the chicken wrap inside. Sasuke sat beside her on the bench, biting into his own food as they watched their friends conversing from the table not too far from where they were seated. Nana quickly ate her food, feeling the starvation quickly going away. As she crumpled up the wrapper, Nana tossed it in the bin next to the bench, before leaning back. "How about we do some games after lunch?" Sasuke suggested, seeing Nana's already tired state. She hummed in agreement, turning herself to face the raven haired male. "That sounds like fun." She grinned, her beautiful smile being directed only at him. Sasuke normally wasn't one to blush, but when it came to Nana, he didn't care. 

The two teens heard a click and came out of their own little world, seeing Sakura with a digital camera in hand. "Sorry, I thought it would be a great moment to have captured." Sakura smiled at her friend, noticing the way Sasuke had always looked at the brunette. Sasuke clicked his tongue and got up from the bench, going over to Naruto as Sakura seated herself next to Nana. "I'm glad you're having fun, Nana-chan." Sakura admitted, looking into her friends gorgeous eyes. 

"I don't know what made you change your mind, but I'm glad you came. You always seclude yourself, you even go home straight away, and you always look exhausted at school. You should try coming out more often." Sakura stated her observations before placing a comforting hand on Nana's shoulder. 

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto and I were going to split off on our own for a bit, why don't you and Nana do the same?" Sakura whispered into her raven friend's ear, giving him a push towards Nana with a knowing gaze.

Sasuke and Nana wandered over to the nearest game stalls, looking at some of the options and prizes. "Oh! I'm pretty good at this one!" Nana exclaimed from a little further away, standing at the ring toss game. She handed the game staff her money and they placed the rings on the counter for Nana. Sasuke watched as her small hands picked up one of the rings, as she analyzed the bottles before her. Ten rings, ten tries. Nana managed to win one of the medium sized prizes, which she chose a long red plush snake. "It's almost as tall as you!" Nana giggled as she wrapped the snake plush around Sasuke's neck, almost like a scarf. Sasuke smirked, "I know another snake that's pretty tall." Nana's face lit up red as she pretended not to hear the Uchiha's perverted joke, moving on to some of the other games. 

Nana and Sasuke spent the next few hours winning prizes and eating some of the sweets and other assorted food before a ringtone started going off. Nana stopped what she was doing and grabbed her phone from her back pocket, checking the time. "Oh...it's time already..." She whispered, as a little disappointment could be heard in her voice. Sasuke glanced at the time, before looking at Nana's saddened form, "Do you have to go home now?" He questioned with emphasis, his eyes locking onto hers. Her conflicted emotions making them unreadable, but her solemn smile gave him the answer he needed. Sasuke pulled out his phone, texting Naruto his plan. After getting a response, Sasuke put an arm behind Nana's back, leading her away from the now crowded amusement park. As they were leaving, Sasuke got a band for re-entry. 

Nana and Sasuke placed their prizes in the back seats before getting into their side of the vehicle. Nana shivered as she sat against the cold leather seat, rubbing her hands and her knees together in an attempt to warm up. Sasuke grabbed his car keys from Nana's bag before starting the car up, and turning on the heat. Taking off his jacket, he set the heavy leather item around Nana's shoulders, pulling it forward. He could smell her perfume, and he could see her long eyelashes as they fluttered above her baby blue eyes. He could see her small and plump pink lips, as she subconsciously ran her tongue across them. Nana's eyes flicked up to Sasuke's as he stared at her intently, feeling some kind of pull towards him. The more they moved closer together, the more time seemed to slow down. Sasuke's nose grazed hers as their eyes both closed, their warm breath fanning each others lips. 

As they inched closer once more, Nana's second alarm went off, forcing the two to pull apart awkwardly as Nana's hand immediately reached for her phone to turn it off. With a cough, Sasuke shifted gears as he felt the heat crawling up his cheeks, "Let's get you home."


	4. 4

Sasuke pulled up in front of Nana's house, shifting gears and turning off the car. The twenty minute car ride had been silent since they left them amusement park, both teens being in their own headspace. Sasuke cleared his throat, shaking Nana from her inner torment, "We're here." He simply stated as he turned towards the back seats, grabbing Nana's plush prizes. 

"Huh...oh. Thanks..." Nana whispered as she grabbed the items from Sasuke, using one arm to remove his jacket, "Thanks for this." Nana muttered before attempting to look the Uchiha boy in the eyes, "I-I had a lot of fun today, with everyone, and with you too." Nana smiled sweetly towards the boy before she opened the car door and stepped out. 

"Merry Christmas, Sasuke." Nana grinned as she shut the door, walking up the stone path towards her house. She stepped up the stairs, pulling out her house keys as she reached the top. Just as Nana unlocked the door and opened it, Sasuke came running up the sidewalk. "Nana! Wait!" Startled, Nana dropped her plush stuffed animals in her doorway, seeing Chiyo walking out of the kitchen with Aki in her arms. 

"Nana-chan-" Chiyo greeted as Nana panicked to kick the stuffed animals away and close the door in time. "S-Sasuke, what is it?" Nana asked as she stood in front of the door, holding it slightly ajar due to their carnival prizes blocking the door from closing. Sasuke looked at Nana as she suspiciously tried to keep her door shut. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed down at Nana, "Why are you acting so weird?" Nana's eyes widened as her head shot up at Sasuke, "I-I-I'm not hiding a-anything!" She exclaimed, forcing an awkward smile on her face. "You're lying." Sasuke set his hands on either side of Nana's arms, holding them with a firm but gentle grip. At this point, Nana was beginning to feel short of breath, and scared. She was scared of what Sasuke would think of her, scared that her secret would be shared with everyone. "Please, Nana, don't lie to me." Sasuke spoke earnestly, just above a whisper. Nana's hand clutched tightly to Sasuke's shirt, shaking. "I can't, Sasuke." Nana whispered back, her voice breaking. Her other hand holding onto the doorknob grew tired, moving to latch onto Sasuke's shirt, just like the other. Sasuke's arms encircled the girl, holding onto her shaking form. "Please." 

Nana heard the door open, hearing Chiyo clear her throat, "You two will freeze out there, if you stand there any longer. Young man, if you come inside, there's no going back once you know." Nana and Sasuke separated before Nana hesitantly stepped into the house, picking up everything she had dropped. "C-Come on in." She averted her eyes as Sasuke hesitantly stepped foot into the home for the first time. As he looked at the walls, Sasuke noticed one thing, there were no photos of her family on them. 

Chiyo closed the door once Sasuke entered, leading the boy to the kitchen, "Have a seat young man." Sasuke did as he was told, sitting at the kitchen table, thanking the elderly woman as she handed him a cup of green tea. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name earlier?" Sasuke asked as the elderly woman sat across from him. She let out a wistful hum, "My name is Chiyo, I'm Nana's neighbor from across the street." Chiyo said, looking as Nana came back into the room, holding onto Aki. 

"I babysit for Nana."

Sasuke looked back, seeing the tiny infant in Nana's arms, before choking on his tea. Coughing, Sasuke's eyes widened in bewilderment as Nana looked at him with glassy eyes and a frightened expression. "Chiyo, I think your grandson and his friends just pulled up in front of your house..." Nana spoke as calm as she could, her hold on Aki slightly tightening. Chiyo sighed before using the chair's backrest to pull herself up. "Call me if you need anything deary, it's not a bother." Nana nodded with a smile and showed Chiyo out, before making her way back to Sasuke. Nana sat down in the seat in front of Sasuke, seeing his emotionless mask once again covering his face. Aki made some inaudible sounds, his tiny hands clutching onto Nana's cardigan. 

"Sasuke..." Nana started softly, earning a shift of the head as he looked straight into her eyes, "This is Aki, he's my son." Nana continued, taking a deep shaky breath, "I had just recently turned sixteen, when I found out I was pregnant with Aki. He...He was an unexpected bump in the path of life...and he's also the reason I transfered into school late." 

Nana bounced Aki on her leg, listening to his tiny sounds of amusement, as she tried to keep her emotions under control. Sasuke was listening, waiting for Nana to go on, confirming some of his thoughts already. "My family, mostly my mother and father, disowned me, when I decided to go through with the pregnancy. My older siblings have no idea about Aki, nor does anyone else. It was the one condition my mother gave me; to keep Aki a secret and change my last name as to not tarnish my family name. In return, they would pay me to keep my mouth shut and survive." Nana finished, stiffening up as Sasuke sat there silently. He looked distraught, or perturbed, before he finally let out a long and loud sigh, almost sounding relieved. Sasuke slouched onto the table, running his hands through his raven hair as he thought about what to say to Nana.

Even though she just sprung a huge secret onto him, that didn't change Sasuke's feelings for her, that he knew. He'd been flirting with the girl all day, after many failed attempts at their school, for the last year. Hell, they almost kissed back in his car, an hour ago. Sasuke chuckled, before finally looking Nana in the eyes again. "This doesn't change how I see you, Nana. What I wanted to say on the steps, was that I like you." Sasuke stated confidently as he stood up to close the distance between him and the brunette woman. Nana felt the tears starting to form in her eyes, as her face started to falter and quiver with the emotion she had been trying to hide. 

Sasuke crouched next to her, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks as his thumbs wiped the tears that escaped. "Why?" Nana whimpered as she stared into Sasuke's charcoal eyes, seeing a caring expression on his face. Sasuke let out a small, almost unnoticeable smile, "You're not like the girls that throw themselves at me. You get good grades, and you're sweet. You help out during class, or during breaks. Most of all, you're caring and put others before yourself." Sasuke whispered as he turned to look at the almost identical mini Nana. "Aki is proof of that." Sasuke leaned his forehead against Nana's as she sniffed and shook with sobs, not expecting such kind or romantic words and gestures from the boy. Sasuke hugged Nana carefully, making sure to not get too close to Aki. 

"I'm sorry, I-I've kept you from your friends, and put such a damper on the mood. It's Christmas Eve..." Nana said as Sasuke pulled away, letting her dry her eyes with some tissue. Sasuke's eyes softened as Nana hugged Aki a little closer to her stomach, a tired smile finally rising up onto her face. "You better be sorry, you rushed off before I could reply to you." Sasuke retorted, before placing a comforting hand on Nana's head, "Merry Christmas, Nana..." Nana's face flushed pink as she felt her heartbeat pick up, standing up from her seated position. 

"I think you should go, they might think I kidnapped you." Nana joked as she started leaving the kitchen, resting the sleepy infant against her shoulder. Sasuke shrugged, giving his signature smirk to the brunette, "I wouldn't mind, if it was you." She shook her head at his cheesy pickup lines and opened the door for the boy. Sasuke slipped his shoes back on before stopping on the edge of the doorway. "I won't tell anyone, it can be our little secret." He winked and Nana blushed as she nodded, tugging on his shirt just before he could leave. Tiptoeing, Nana placed a warm kiss to his cheek, before pulling away. 

"G-Goodbye, Sasuke. Merry Christmas." 

"Merry Christmas, Nana."


	5. 5

Nana stretched her arms above her head as she woke up, hearing her joints pop. With a satisfying sigh, Nana pushed off her duvet and placed her feet on the floor. She started the day like any other day, by first checking on Aki. If Aki was sleeping, Nana would go for a shower first. Smiling to herself as she quietly closed her infants bedroom door, Nana grabbed some clean clothes and a towel from her room before making her way to the bathroom. 

Humming to herself as she washed her body, Nana closed her eyes, letting the hot water rinse over her body. It was December Thirty First, meaning it was New Years Eve. One week had passed since Nana went out to the amusement park with Sasuke and her friends, and new acquaintances, not much had changed. To Nana's surprise, she had even begun texting the Uchiha more. She made her way to the kitchen, pouring a fresh batch of coffee into a cup, adding sugar and cream to her liking. Once she was satisfied with the warm drink in her hand, Nana sat down in front of the television, turning on the news channel. She listened as the reporters spoke on specific topics, sipping her coffee as she brought her knees up in front of her chest to lean on. Her ears perked up as the reporter mentioned an uprising in gang violence. 

"Please be safe while walking around the city during the evenings, if you see anyone wearing all black with a red and white cloud design on the back, notify the police immediately." Nana bit her lip as she feared the possibilities, her mind coming up with any and every horrible thing that could happen. A rapping knock brought her out of her thoughts as Nana glanced over her shoulder in curiosity, staring in the direction of her front door. 

Getting up from her comfy spot on the couch, Nana placed her coffee cup on the coffee table before exiting the living room. Her one hand reached for the doorknob, unlocking the bottom while her other hand unlocked the top lock, before she gently pulled open the door. Staring at the visitor in shock, Nana's eyes travelled into his gorgeous onyx eyes. "Sasuke, what brings you here?" Nana asked as she stepped aside and opened the door further, allowing the raven haired boy to step inside the house and shut the door. "I wanted to see you." He earnestly replied, his cheeks flushed from the cold weather he had just stepped out of. Nana felt her cheeks flush as she shyly averted her eyes, a small smile forming on her lips. "Even though it's New Years Eve?" Nana asked, a warm feeling fluttering in her stomach as her heart began to pound in her chest. Sasuke clicked his tongue and poked her forehead with his index and middle finger, "Stupid Nana, it doesn't matter when or what day it is, I'll make time for you." Nana gripped the hem of her oversized hoodie as she grinned. 

Sasuke took off his shoes and jackets, carefully placing them in their proper designated areas before walking into the living room with Nana. He looked at the playpen which was carefully tucked away, seeing that Aki wasn't in it. Nana caught his wandering eyes and answered his silent question, "Aki is still asleep, he should be up soon though." 

Sasuke nodded his head, sitting down on the couch as Nana glanced at her coffee cup, "Would you like a coffee or tea, or some other beverage?" She questioned the raven haired male. He thought about it for a moment, before replying, "Coffee would be nice, just black." Nana smiled and nodded, skipping over to the kitchen and grabbing the male a slightly bigger cup, before pouring the warm beverage into it. It was nice to have company, especially someone closer in age to Nana. The seventeen year old woman walked back to the living room and sat next to Sasuke, "Your order, sir." Nana joked as he smirked, taking the cup being offered to him. Sasuke let out a contempt sigh, after sipping the delicious drink. "How was your Christmas?" Nana asked as she brought her legs back up onto the couch, hugging them close. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders as he slouched back into the couch, carefully balancing his cup on his thigh, while still holding onto it to keep his hands warm.

"It was eventful, but I can't say I've ever had a quiet one." He stated simply and Nana smiled, leaning her head sideways as she rested it on her arms which were wrapped around her legs. "I miss it sometimes." Nana whispered as she looked at Sasuke, "I miss the awful parties the company held, and I miss the arguing and fun I had with my siblings..." Nana smiled softly as she recalled past Christmases with her family and her father and mother's company. Sasuke regretted his answer until he saw her smiling face, "Although I miss it sometimes, I like my current life. It's quiet, sure, but it has really made me realize the important things in life; like Chiyo-san, Aki, and even the time I can spend with you." Sasuke sipped his drink as he felt the heat rise to his cheeks, attempting to ignore it. 

Nana finally heard the little cries through her baby monitor, signaling her son's awakening. Sasuke watched as Nana stood from her comfortable position on the couch, "You can come upstairs, if you'd like..." Nana fiddled with a drawstring from her hoodie as she looked away from the Uchiha, he agreed, and downed the rest of his coffee before following Nana into the kitchen. Sasuke placed the cups into the dishwasher after giving them a quick rinse, as Nana prepared a bottle of formula for Aki. 

Sasuke watched from the side as Nana changed, cleaned and fed Aki upstairs in the nursery, seeing how much care she put into her actions with the infant. After she was done, Nana smiled mischievously at Sasuke, "Wanna hold him?" She was wondering what kind of reaction the Uchiha would give, but to her amazement, she saw his eyes light up at the idea. 

"Can I?" He asked, as he stopped leaning against the wall, walking towards the smaller woman. Nana watched as Sasuke held onto the infant the correct way, his onyx eyes scanning Aki's features up close for the first time. Her eyes softened as she smiled, "You know how to hold him properly." She commented, and Sasuke glanced into her beautiful blue eyes, "My older brother, his friends had a baby two years ago, so whenever they visit, I would sometimes hold onto them." Nana watched as Sasuke ran his hand through Aki's small tufts of hair, as the infant reached out to grab Sasuke's finger, with his tiny hand. The two teens along with Aki went back down to the living room, Nana pulling out a blanket and mini mobile with baby toys hanging from it. Setting it on the floor, Sasuke carefully laid Aki on his back, on the soft thick blanket.

He sat against the base of the couch, crossing his legs as Aki made little sounds of enjoyment from his new spot. Nana sat next to Sasuke, changing the television channel over to the music station. The teens sat there talking and laughing for a while, until Sasuke's phone started going off. The ringtone was silenced after Sasuke rejected the call, having glanced at the caller identification briefly before deciding. "Am I keeping you from your plans for the evening?" Nana asked, a small fear of being alone, creeping into her mind. Sasuke shook his head, "No, it's just one of our classmates." Sasuke replied without a care, or hint of feelings towards the caller. Sasuke turned to face Nana, his eyes changing from their relaxed ways, into a more serious expression. "Let's go out this evening. You, me and the little guy." Sasuke stated and Nana chewed on her bottom lip nervously. 

"Sasuke...I can't risk being seen outside, with Aki. At least, not until I graduate." Nana whispered looking the boy in the eyes, "But, I want to go out with you." She confirmed, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she confessed what she wanted. Nana looked at the clock on her wall, deciding to call Chiyo, "Let me just ask Chiyo-san if she can watch Aki tonight." Nana hurriedly stood up, going over to her landline, and dialing her wonderful neighbor's phone number. Nana explained to Chiyo what she would like to do, and anxiously waited for her answer as she balanced back and forth on her heels. Hearing a chuckle from the elderly woman through the phone, Nana grinned as Chiyo agreed to look after Aki. Thanking Chiyo, Nana hung up and turned to Sasuke excitedly. "Chiyo-san can watch Aki, we can do whatever tonight!" Nana laughed happily as she plopped herself down in front of Sasuke's amused form. He smirked and leaned close enough for their noses to just barely touch, "What is whatever?" He watched her cheeks flare up once more and chuckled, "How about dinner, and then the fireworks festival?" He suggested and Nana nodded, a grin coming to her beautiful face. He tucked a piece of her chestnut brown hair behind her ear as he whispered in her ear, "Then after, we can see about whatever." 


	6. 6

Nana and Sasuke left her house in the late afternoon, once Chiyo had arrived to look after Aki. They drove to one of the higher end malls in the city, stepping out of the vehicle once they finally parked. Nana had changed into some light wash skinny jeans and a long sleeve black t-shirt, paired with a simple plaid scarf. "This is such a huge mall!" Nana exclaimed as they walked along the parking lot, heading to the mall entrance. Sasuke chuckled as he watched Nana, as she somewhat skipped forward in excitement. It had been quite some time since the woman had gone shopping, let alone, go to a mall. 

"We won't see many of our classmates here, this mall is where those in the upper class level of society, usually spend their time." Sasuke stated as he took one of Nana's hands, crossing on the crosswalk before entering into the mall. Nana tightened her hold on Sasuke's large hand, earning a comforting squeeze in response.

Although there wasn't any classmates that could potentially see Nana at the mall, there was always a small chance that someone from her past could be there. Her family may not be in the same city, but that didn't mean there weren't friends of her parent's, within the city. She may have the last name Fujikawa now, but Nana knew that she would always be seen as the youngest daughter of the Takagi Family. The two teens first made their way to Third Cup, a somewhat overpriced coffee shop and bakery. The smell brought Nana out of her inner turmoil, and she sighed happily. "What can we get for you two today?" The barista chimed enthusiastically, moving in front of the register. Sasuke caught Nana glancing at the carrot cake and smiled, "We'll get one piece of carrot cake, and two venti mochas." Sasuke pulled out his debit card and tapped it on the machine once prompted, before he and Nana moved over to the side as the barista prepared their order. 

They sat at one of the small round tables with their order, Nana opening the plastic container that held her piece of cake, as she let her drink cool a bit. She took a small bite, humming as the flavour hit her senses. "You should try a piece of this, it's so good." Nana gushed as she took a piece on the fork and held it out for Sasuke to taste. He stared at the sweet treat before leaning in and taking the piece Nana had offered. Nana felt her cheeks get warm as Sasuke leaned back, watching his reaction to the cake. "You're right, that is pretty good." Sasuke replied as he lifted his cup to his lips, taking a sip of the drink. Nana finished off her cake, before tossing the plastic into the recycling before they ventured further into the main area of the mall. Nana looked at the different store names, walking along side Sasuke hand-in-hand once again. As she stared at all the brand name stores, Nana stopped as she felt Sasuke stop in front of a music store. His eyes were focused on the cherry red guitar displayed in the front window, and a look of longing seemed to be in his dark onyx eyes. 

"Did you want to go in there?" Nana asked as she eyed the beautiful instrument, watching as Sasuke snapped out of his trance and shook his head. "No, I'm fine, let's go upstairs, there's a few stores up there that you might like." Sasuke pulled Nana over to the escalator, pushing the guitar to the back of his mind. Nana stared at the raven haired boy in wonder, thinking of the reason he didn't want to go into the music store. "Do you play guitar, Sasuke?" She asked as they reached the top of the escalator, stepping off to the side. She sipped her drink as Sasuke held onto his, staring at the cup silently as he leaned on the side banister. "I used to play guitar, but I can't play anymore." He whispered, a pool of emotions swirling in his onyx eyes. Nana frowned as she heard the hint of despair in his voice, "Can I ask...why you can't play anymore?" She whispered as she followed his actions, leaning on the banister next to him. She heard him hum, before he raised his left hand, staring at it. "It happened a couple summers ago, Naruto and I got in a fight with one of the gangs on our way home." 

Nana's eyes widened as she listened to Sasuke, before she starting putting the puzzle pieces together. Just barely noticeable, was a large scar on his left hand. "They had a knife, and I stupidly blocked it with my hands." Sasuke scoffed as he clenched his hand a couple times. "I couldn't play the same after that, so I decided to follow my brother and cousin, and join our family's law firm." Sasuke glanced over to Nana, seeing her saddened expression, "Sasuke...I'm so sorry." Nana felt Sasuke's hand pat her head, "Don't worry about it, Nana. Let's go to a couple shops, we have an hour and a half until the mall closes." Sasuke and Nana went into a couple stores, trying on a few items to buy. They even tried on a onesie, laughing as they stepped out and stared at each other. 

Once they bought their items, Nana and Sasuke left the mall, and made their way to a large restaurant. They were seated and menus were placed in front of them, with a brief explanation on specials for the day. "This establishment is owned by Choji Akimichi, and his family. He's one of our classmates, he came to the amusement park that day." Sasuke told Nana, before grabbing one of the menus. Nana was in awe at the restaurant and it's beautiful interior. She could feel the friendly but professional atmosphere the place gave off, as she glanced around. Pictures lined the walls, some of people, some were paintings. "Amazing..." She whispered before picking up her menu. They placed their order with the waiter, watching as the waiter took their menus. 

"About our conversation earlier, if you could play guitar again, would you?" Nana asked as she looked the Uchiha boy over. He slouched back in the seat as he looked at his hands. "I miss playing, but..." He trailed off, his hands slightly shaking, Nana's eyes softened. She grabbed his hands in hers, giving a gentle squeeze. His eyes found hers and he breathed in deeply, before releasing it, "Even if I can't play anymore, if I can be with you, that's enough." Sasuke answered as he squeezed her hands in return, before releasing them as their food and drinks were placed down on the table. Nana smiled to herself as she ate her food, glancing at Sasuke every now and then. Nana thought about the few times she spent with Sasuke, and the soft spoken moments they shared with each other. Dinner went by quickly, and Nana found herself sitting in Sasuke's car once more. The two waited as the heater warmed up the vehicle, "That was a wonderful dinner, I don't think I have had such good food in a long time." Nana mumbled as she placed her jacket overtop her legs, the fleece lining keeping them warm. Sasuke agreed, feeling satisfied as he leaned back against his seat. Nana yawned as she felt herself relaxing in the seat as it was warming up as well. 

Sasuke faced Nana, watching her eyes droop slightly from exhaustion. "Nana." Sasuke called out her name, watching as her tired eyes fixated onto his. He reached his left hand up to her face, gently cupping her cheek as he pulled her close. Their noses touched and Nana felt her breath catch in her throat as her heart beat quicker and quicker. Her cheeks flushed as she felt Sasuke's shaking breath fan over her lips, as if hesitating. Nana's eyes closed as she placed her hand on the back of his neck, closing the distance. Sasuke felt her soft lips gently push against his, before pulling away slightly. "Sasuke..." Nana whispered before his eyes locked onto hers, certain he was feeling the same way she was. Sasuke closed the distance again, pushing his lips against hers hungrily, as if he had been deprived of attention for a long time. Nana's lips parted and Sasuke took the opportunity to slip his tongue in, hearing the brunette girl release a quiet moan. Sasuke pulled apart after their quick and heated make out session, before planting one last soft kiss on her lips. "I've waited so long to kiss you like this." He whispered against her lips as he rested his forehead against hers. Nana laughed softly as she felt her cheeks heat up even more. 

"I was worried originally, if I'm honest." Nana whispered, as she recalled the first time they almost kissed. "When we almost kissed back on Christmas Eve, I was scared. I wanted to kiss you, but I also had Aki to worry about. I thought that, if we kissed, and we got into a relationship...if you found out about Aki, it would end." Nana pulled away from Sasuke as they stared into each other's eyes. Sasuke saw as relief spread across her face, "I'm not scared anymore." Nana finished as she placed one more soft and sweet kiss on Sasuke's lips before sitting back in her seat. Sasuke felt the warmth in his face as he smiled to himself, setting the car in motion. "I have one more place to take you." He said as he started driving once more. Nana looked at the darkening sky, watching as street lights turned on. Her eyes closed as she drifted off, while Sasuke kept his eyes on the snowy roads ahead. 

They drove for quite some time before the vehicle slowed to a stop. Nana felt the movement stop, as she forced her eyes open from their once tired state. Sasuke reached into the backseat, bringing a blanket forward, as Nana put her jacket back on her arms. The two made their way out of the car, Sasuke holding onto the blanket in one arm as his other one held Nana close to him. They walked down a steep path surrounded by forest until coming across a tunnel of sorts. After passing through, Nana looked in awe at the beautiful hidden area that overlooked the city. "Wow! Wow!" Nana repeated as she went over the the makeshift benches, made from fallen trees, with Sasuke right behind her. 

"How did you find this place?!" Nana looked around as she brushed off the snow from one of the benches, before sitting down. Sasuke sat next to her and wrapped the blanket around their bodies, an arm wrapping around Nana's waist afterwards. "Believe it or not, Naruto and I found it some time ago. We were camping with the guys around the area, and Naruto had gone off on his own. The Dobe got lost." Sasuke chuckled as Nana leaned her head against his shoulder, staring out at the city below them. "I went out to find Naruto, and ended up finding him over here." Nana shook her head, imagining how that had went. "We decided to make it our secret spot, and we made the benches too." Sasuke spoke softly as he gazed up at the dark sky. Nana laughed as she pondered the idea, "Are you sure you should have brought me up here? If it's your secret place?" Sasuke smirked as he looked down at Nana, "Naruto has already brought Sakura here, I'm sure it's fine." He said as he placed a kiss on her forehead. Sasuke glanced at the time on his phone, smiling to himself. "The countdown is starting soon." 

Nana checked her cellphone, seeing how late it had gotten. "Nana, for this New Year, I'd like to start anew, with you." Sasuke whispered as he pulled her body closer, "Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked the brunette, his eyes softening as they watched her expression changing. Nana nodded her head, "Of course I will." She replied as tears formed in her eyes, as she happily placed a frantic kiss on his lips. She parted from him with a bright smile on her face, just as the fireworks started booming. Nana and Sasuke both watched on as the bright colors shot through the sky, smiling with red cheeks. 

"Happy New Years." 


	7. 7

Nana sighed as she gripped her messenger bag strap as she stepped passed the school gates and into the parking lot. It was the first day back after their vacation and Nana was already dreading school. As she slowly made her way towards the school building, an arm snaked its way around her shoulders. 

"Good morning, beautiful." He smirked after planting a chaste kiss upon her head, catching her flushed face from the corner of his eye. "G-Good morning, Sasuke." She stuttered in embarrassment as a few other students witnessed the interaction. This incident would be the talk of the school by second period for sure, Nana knew it. She felt her knuckles turning white as she clenched them tightly, before feeling Sasuke stop them. He held her close as he hid her face from the other students around, "Hey, relax, everything will be alright." Sasuke whispered as he took Nana's hands, carefully relaxing them. Nana breathed in and breathed out, letting her shoulders relax as she looked up at her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend, something Nana never expected she would ever have again, after having what others would call a bastard child, as a teenager. She felt Sasuke squeeze her hands gently before letting one go, pulling her forward with him. The two walked hand-in-hand towards his locker, as Nana kept her books in a school bag instead of in a locker. Sasuke unlocked his lock, opening the metal door to grab his belongings for the first couple of classes. As Nana stood next to him, two loud voices could be heard along with rushing footsteps from down the hall.

"SASUKE!"

"TEME!"

Nana watched as Naruto pounced on her boyfriend, while Sakura clobbered Nana in a bear hug. "Oh my god! You two are dating?!" Sakura squealed out her question, as she spun Nana around, making the smaller girl dizzy. "H-Hai..." Nana mumbled as Sasuke steadied her after finally getting Naruto off of him, and carefully pulling Sakura off of Nana. "Sorry Nana-chan, but we heard the news as we entered the school." Sakura laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Why didn't you say anything to me?" Sakura pouted and crossed her arms as Nana put her hands together in a peace offering sign, pleading for forgiveness. Sasuke shook his head as he closed his locker and held onto Nana's hand once more. 

"Let's go, we'll be late for class if we stay here." He stated simply, pulling his girlfriend along as Naruto and Sakura rushed to their lockers to grab their items before the first bell rang for classes.

The beginning of the new semester seemed to be a start to many things for the students, like the fact that they were going to be seniors in a few months. Their final exams were a few months away, and that meant many of the students were getting ready to choose a career for themselves, and choose the best university or college. Nana hadn't thought much about anything after high school, she just went with the day as it came. She got high marks, but it was because of the effort she put into studying. University would be a challenge, especially while trying to raise Aki, alone. Nana heard the bell go off, realizing she spent the entire class off in her own little world.

"Before you go for break, I have an announcement to make." Kakashi-sensei announced as he flipped through his planner, "Next week or so, we have some students transferring into Konoha High, as part of our student exchange program." Kakashi then left the class, while Sasuke set a orange juice box on Nana's desk. She smiled at the raven haired boy as he took the seat next to her, sipping his own juice box. "You looked like you were in a daze." Sasuke stated simply, earning a sigh from the short brunette. "I was, but I still did my notes, so I can go over them." Sasuke smirked, "I can help you study." Nana laughed, lightly shoving the Uchiha in a playful manner, "I think you may be a distraction." Sasuke feigned hurt before agreeing with Nana. A clearing of the throat gained the couple's attention as they looked towards the owner of the sound. Sasuke glared at the red haired female standing next to Nana's desk, "So, this is who you're dating?" Karin sneered as she eyed Nana up and down, intimidating the brunette. 

Nana knew Karin was bad news, she was a troubled student who was rumored to be in a gang, along with two other students. Nana had avoided getting into any conflict with them during her time at Konoha High, but luck seems to have ran out for her. Sasuke scoffed as he leaned back in his seat, "What about it?" Karin flipped her red hair over her shoulder as she sat on Nana's desk, leaning in towards Sasuke. "I think you two won't last very long, Sasuke-kun. When you get tired of grandma over here, I'll be waiting." She winked and hopped off the desk, Nana releasing a long sigh she didn't realize she had been holding in. Glancing at Sasuke, Nana saw him smile at her softly as he grabbed one of her hands, "Don't worry about what she said, Karin likes to start trouble." Nana nodded and watched as Sasuke moved back to his seat, waiting the few minutes for the bell to go off and signal the end of their break. 

As classes went by, more and more rumors spread about the now famous couple, and Nana groaned as Sakura chuckled at her friend's embarrassed state. "Who knew that everyone cared so much, about who Sasuke dates?" Nana questioned as she changed inside a bathroom stall in the locker room, for gym glass. Sakura chuckled as she slipped her gym uniform on, consisting of black track pants and a long sleeve navy blue top for their fall and winter uniform. Nana exited the stall in her uniform and Sakura replied, "All of us do, Sasuke is cold to all the other girls here." Sakura chimed as she pulled her short pink hair back with a red bandana. Nana sighed in despair as she left the change room with Sakura, who patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"Don't worry so much about it, people will lose interest in it soon. The same thing happened when Naruto and I started dating." Nana nodded before they joined their class out on the gymnasium floor, standing next to their boyfriend's. Gai-sensei got everyone to partner up and start with stretches, before running ten laps around the gym.

"The power of youth! Excellent work young people! Grab some water and then it's time for Zoomba!" Nana and Sakura sighed gulping down their water as they sat on the bleachers, taking a quick breather. Naruto was goofing off with Rock Lee and Kiba Inuzuka, while Sasuke was chatting with Neji Hyuga. Nana's eyes found themselves locked onto his form, and Sasuke smiled as he locked his eyes onto hers. "Jeez, your eyes are practically stripping him." Sakura joked as she caught her friend staring, causing the brunette to blush as she stammered out a response. "T-T-They are not!" Sakura giggled as Nana's face remained brightly flushed. She averted her eyes to the floor and Sasuke looked back at Neji. 

"I thought you and Nana hated each other?" The Hyuga asked as he caught Sasuke's original line of sight before he'd turned away. Sasuke scoffed, sipping his bottled water, "I never hated Nana, she just...was different." Neji hummed in curiosity, before the teens got pulled off their quick rest to dance for the rest of class.

Gym ended and Nana quickly changed in a stall once more before placing her gym clothes back inside her messenger bag, and waiting outside the changeroom for Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke was out first, quickly wrapping his arm around Nana's shoulders and placing a chaste kiss to her temple while no one else was around. "I'll drive you home, I just have to grab my stuff from my locker." He whispered as their friends joined them, talking until their last bell for the day went off. 

"So Nana, since you started dating Sasuke, does that mean you'll be hanging out more with us after school?" Sakura asked and Nana froze. It had completely slipped her mind until now. How was she supposed to tell her friends she couldn't hang out outside of school, but continue to date Sasuke? Thankfully, Sasuke seemed to have thought about this and prepared an answer already, "Nana's family is pretty strict, and she has a very early curfew. She will probably join us every other weekend." Sakura frowned while Naruto scrunched his face up in thought, like he usually did when something seemed odd to the boy. "Man, that must be rough. They should lighten up, you're already getting perfect marks!" Naruto scowled as Nana awkwardly laughed, apologizing to her friends. "Ah ha, yeah. I'll have to wait to ask for anything more...I was lucky they agreed to let me date Sasuke." Nana lied through her teeth, guilt tearing at her as she did. The four went separate ways as Nana and Sasuke went to his car, and Naruto and Sakura headed off to one of their vehicles. Sasuke sighed as he sat in the car with Nana, "Sorry, I couldn't think of anything else." Nana shook her head, "Don't worry about it, I understand. It seems like I don't want to spend time with them, but I am fine with dating you." She replied as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, "I'll try and go out more with Sakura, and work things out with Chiyo." 

Nana entered her house after parting with Sasuke, and sighed. "What a long sigh, young lady's should never sigh so loudly." Chiyo chided jokingly and Nana grinned, "Sorry, Chiyo-san." The elder woman smiled as she brought Nana a warm cup of cider, "How was your first day back?" Nana told Chiyo the dull and routine events of the day, before asking about changing up their usual routine. "My friends are starting to worry that I don't like them..." Nana started as she fiddled with the warm cup, Chiyo sensed something had been on her mind. "Nana-chan, please don't worry about being a burden. You are young, it's only natural for you to see friends and date boys your age. We can work out whatever you need." 

Nana thanked Chiyo, setting up a couple days during the week to be out a little later, and then choosing one day on the weekend for Nana to stay out until midnight at the latest. "We can start this next week, or even at the end of the month? Sasuke kinda came up with a good lie, to cover for now." Nana stated and Chiyo smiled softly as she set dinner down in front of Nana, on the kitchen table. "Alright deary, now take a break from that homework and eat your dinner. I'll be heading home now." Chiyo ruffled Nana's brown hair before leaving and Nana smiled at the plate of food before her. What would she do, without the elderly woman? Nana didn't know, but she did appreciate all her efforts.

Nana locked the door before seeing a message notification appear on her phone, when she got back to the kitchen table. Swiping the screen Nana clicked on the message.

'Can we talk?'

Nana looked at the number, unable to recognize it. She stared at the message for a moment, before another one appeared.

'It's....'


	8. 8

Nana clutched the phone tightly in her hand as she leaned back against the counter, staring at the black screen apprehensively. Should she reply? Or should she just leave it? Nana sighed as she placed the electronic device on the countertop, covering her face with her hands as she took a deep breath to control the anxiety rising in her. How did they get her number? Nana had many questions and she wasn't sure how to get all the answers. 

Her ringtone started going off, bringing the young woman out of her thoughts. Flipping the phone over, she glanced at the caller identification before picking the device up. Sliding her finger across the screen, Nana put the phone next to her ear, "H-Hello." 

"Nana, deary, how have you been?" A middle aged woman asked over the phone, while standing next to her husband's desk. She had long chocolate brown hair tied up in a bun, and yellow green eyes, accentuated by her narrow face. The woman smiled sinisterly as she spoke to her youngest child.

"We need you to change your phone number deary, it's come to our attention that someone is trying to find you. Do it by Wednesday and then send me a message from your new number. If you don't, you can forget about this month's allowance." The woman hung up the phone before her daughter could respond, and looked at her frowning husband as he hunched over paperwork. Her smile dropped to a scowl as she sat on the edge of the desk, crossing one leg over the other. "How much longer do we have to support that selfish child? She made the decision to have that boy's bastard child, why should we continue to pay her, let alone pay the boy..." The woman bitterly questioned her husband, lighting a cigarette and taking a quick drag out of it. "Hanai, keep your mouth shut." She glared at her husband as she squished the unfinished cigarette into the ashtray, "Don't talk to me like that Toshio, you know I'm right!" She argued as her husband turned his icy glare her way. "If you slip up and keep talking, you risk our reputation. Nana's siblings don't know either, they just think she went off to a better school. What do you think will happen if they find out as well?" 

Hanai crossed her arms over her chest, turning away from her husband, "Who cares." The woman's heels clicked on the hardwood floor as she made her way to the study entrance, stopping as she was about to open the door, "She's no longer my daughter, this is purely business." With that, Hanai left the room, missing the figure hiding behind the corner wall, on the opposite corridor. The young man stepped out from behind the wall after he was sure the coast was clear, before glancing at his cellphone. Unlocking the device, he stared at the last picture he had taken with Nana, on her sixteenth birthday. He hadn't seen Nana since she turned sixteen, and now, he had just found out why. 

"Nana has a baby, with him?" He whispered as he looked through the photos, until he came across one of Nana and her "boyfriend", clenching his jaw and gritting his teeth. He stormed away from the hall he'd been hiding in, heading towards the main area where his other two siblings were likely to be. 

Nana and Sasuke left the mobile store the next day after school, deciding to grab a bite to eat. "Thanks for coming with me." Nana whispered as she fiddled with a couple strands of hair, while walking next to the Uchiha boy. He shook his head as they stopped in front of a chinese food restaurant, in the food court. "Why did you have to change your number all of a sudden?" He asked as he ordered for the two of them, Nana sighed, "My mother called, told me to do it or else." Sasuke caught the tense tone in her voice, frowning as he carried the tray of food over to a table. "Did the 'or else' involve a threat to cut you off?" Sasuke asked as they slowly started to pick at their food, Nana slouching her shoulders as she nodded her head, looking down. Sasuke shook his head, getting pissed about it for Nana, "How can they do that to their own daughter?" 

Nana shook her head, "Don't worry about it Sasuke, that woman really can't be called a parent anyways..." Nana replied as she ate her food, Sasuke just stared at his food before eating in silence for the last couple minutes. Nana sent off texts to all her friends which consisted of Naruto, Sakura and Hinata, along with sending a message to Chiyo. Nana passed over the message that had been sent to her from the unknown number, stopping briefly as she looked up at Sasuke. "Hey Sasuke, do you-" Nana started before she second guessed herself and stopped, "Nevermind. Let's get going, we have homework to do." Nana grabbed their tray with garbage and brought it over to the sorting centre. They left the mall hand in hand, talking about whatever crossed their minds. Sasuke opened the door for Nana, letting her into the car, before closing the door once she was in. He went around and entered the driver's side. 

Sasuke flopped onto the couch in his family's living room, pulling out his homework. "Ah! Sasuke-kun, you're home now, where have you been?" Mikoto questioned her son, hands on her hips and a dish towel sitting over her right shoulder. "Sorry, I was with Nana at the mall." Mikoto looked at her son in surprise as she walked around to sit on the couch next to her son, "Who is Nana?" Sasuke flipped through his notebook and opened up a textbook to the assigned pages, starting on the questions as he answered, "She's the girl I was interested in this entire time, we started dating." Mikoto gasped in shock and put a hand on her son's shoulder, "Sasuke, why didn't you say anything sooner? You need to bring her to dinner, so your father and I can meet her! This weekend your father is off work, you can bring her over for dinner!" Mikoto exclaimed and got up quickly, "Wait, mom!" Sasuke tried calling for Mikoto but she already hurried off to wherever, Sasuke sighed. 

Sasuke remembered the talk he had with Nana about the extravagant Christmas parties her family would throw, and realized one thing; his parent's may have already met Nana. Sasuke only ever went to one of the parties, but that was after Nana had already been disowned from her family. His family on the other hand, kept relations with many different influential people. "Shit."

He immediately sent Nana a text, explaining the situation and letting her know he would call her later, as he thought of a plan. 

'Hey, my mom wants to invite you to dinner this weekend. I may have mentioned that I finally got a girlfriend...'

'I'll try and find a way out of it, call you later :)'

Nana read the messages and hummed in thought, "Well that's not great, huh, Aki-kun?" Nana spoke as she bounced Aki on her hip, not expecting a reply from the infant. Aki made little gurgles and small bits of laughter as he happily clapped his hands. She went out of their conversation, and clicked on the unknown number, rereading it for the hundredth time since receiving the message. 

'It's been a long time, Nana-chan.'

That was all they said, but it was enough for Nana to know. That person still thought of her, still sought her out, after all this time. After ghosting her without any reason, Nana hadn't even had the chance to let them know, that she was pregnant. A tear fell down her cheek, which she hastily wiped away after setting down her phone. Aki whined and Nana shushed the baby, humming a lullaby to calm the infant down. "There, there, little one. I'm alright, mommy is just fine. Mommy was just remembering sad times." Nana whispered in a hushed tone, sitting on the couch with her little one. Her brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and she changed into a pair of soft joggers and a baggy sweatshirt after getting home.

"M-Ma..." Nana smiled happily as she heard Aki speak, "I love you soooo much, my precious little boy." She placed several kisses on his cheeks as she grinned. Aki was a little slower with learning, so he was just starting to understand some words more, now. Nana blew little raspberries on her son's cheeks and stomach, making the infant laugh. Throwing the text to the back of her mind, Nana waited for Sasuke's call. Although she had never seen the younger Uchiha at the Takagi house, Nana had briefly met his older brother and cousin on one or two occasions. She tried recalling if she had ever been introduced to Sasuke's parents, but she couldn't remember. Over the years, Nana had been introduced to many families, even some with children her age. Her mother believed in arranged marriages, so she had set up many marriage interviews, but Nana showed no interest. Around the same time, she met her ex-boyfriend. Almost as if she was challenging her mother, Nana started dating the young man, much to her parent's dismay. Nana's two older brothers and her older sister weren't forced upon these rules and ways, so why was she? Nana answered her phone when the ringtone had started playing, which broke her from her excessive thoughts. 

"Sasuke, hi." Nana answered the phone, hearing his chuckle from the other end of the line. She smiled softly, wondering what he was doing right now. "I think meeting your family is fine, Sasuke." Nana said as she thought about it. Sooner or later they would have to meet and get it over with, so why not sooner? Nana and Sasuke discussed the plan for the weekend, before switching topics onto homework. Nana laughed as she heard Sasuke groan in frustration, "Do you need help?" She questioned in a teasing manner, earning a witty response from the boy. "Sasuke! Not in front of Aki!" Nana exclaimed in cartoon horror, but a blush crept onto her cheeks at his suggestive comment. 

Sasuke apologized before hearing the call to go downstairs for dinner. "Alright, goodnight Sasuke, I'll see you tomorrow." The week went swiftly and Nana soon found herself standing on the doorstep to the Uchiha household, with Sasuke by her side. Breathing in, Nana squeezed Sasuke's hand for reassurance before he opened the door to the front foyer. "Mom, we're here!" Sasuke called out, as he and Nana slipped off their shoes, after shutting the front door. 

Nana watched as Sasuke's mother rushed out of the kitchen with a bright smile on her face, "You must be Nana! It's so nice to meet you, I hope my Sasuke-kun has treated you well so far." Mikoto greeted, earning a scornful look from her youngest son. "Fugaku! Your son's girlfriend is here, come say hello!" Mikoto called out, waiting a couple minutes for her husband to appear. Nana gulped in fear as she stared at the man. He was much taller than Sasuke, and also much more tan skinned than his sons. "N-Nice to m-m-meet you!" Nana squeaked as she bowed out of formality, fear, and somewhat out of habit. 

"What a well mannered girl, Sasuke-kun, show her to the dining room, I'll grab the snacks. Fugaku, can you help bring the tea?" Mikoto asked her husband as she headed towards the kitchen, Fugaku following after a minute or so. Sasuke gently patted Nana's head after she stood straight, "Let's go sit down, you can relax." Sasuke commented, noticing her tensed shoulders. Nana nodded before following her boyfriend to the dining room, praying for the dinner to be a success.


	9. 9

Both teens breathed out a sigh after arriving back home at Nana's house, having processed the information they had both learned while at the Uchiha's house.

"It was very nice meeting you today, Miss Nana Takagi." Fugaku stated after his wife had left to clean up the kitchen and put away any leftovers. Nana's eyes widened along with Sasuke's as they stared at the tan skinned man in shock, "H-How did you..." Nana couldn't finish her sentence, as she turned her attention to the tiling of the floor in Sasuke's front foyer. Fugaku's eyes softened ever so slightly, watching the small teenage girl as she shook with fear. 

"As fate would have it, you and Sasuke were supposed to have a marriage interview last year, but it was cancelled due to unseen circumstances." Both teens tensed at the confession, and Sasuke clenched his fist to the side, "What?! When were you going to tell me?" He snapped and Fugaku's steely gaze silenced him right away. "Sasuke." 

"Now, is not the time. Miss Takagi-san, I see this is quite a shock to you. Seeing as you two are happy right now, I think we can hold off on discussing the marriage between the families, until graduation." 

Nana was the first to break their silence, "Well, we have a year or so, until we graduate, so we have time to see where things go." Sasuke looked at his girlfriend as if she had grown another head, "Are you crazy? They want us to marry, and use us as a merger for the companies!" "I know that! Sasuke, I'm just saying that, we still have a choice though! If we break up, the merger won't matter!" Nana shouted back, trying to get the point across. After realizing what she said, Nana and Sasuke both went quiet for a moment. "So you want to break up?" He questioned, just above a whisper as his long bangs covered his eyes. 

Nana quickly denied it, bringing her hands to Sasuke's face to force him to look at her, "I didn't mean it like that, Sasuke. I just...we're young, and sometimes relationships...they don't survive the drama of high school." She closed her eyes as Sasuke leaned his forehead on hers, his hands sitting on her waist. "I'm willing to try, as long as you still are. Forget about the merger, forget about my family, let's just focus on us. Please, Sasuke." Nana whispered against his lips, before planting a soft and subtle kiss on them. The kiss didn't last long, but it was enough for Nana to get her feelings across to the raven haired male. "I won't let you break up with me, I will always fight to keep you, Nana." Sasuke wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her back in for another kiss. Lips pushing against one another in a heated manner as Nana's arms snaked around his shoulders. Sasuke nipped at Nana's lip, slipping his tongue into her mouth after it opened. An airy gasp escaped her throat as Nana felt one of his hands grab her ass, and give it a squeeze. "Mmm~ Sasuke~" Nana moaned out, as she placed her hands on his chest, pulling away from the intense makeout session. A fiery blush had taken over her cheeks as well as Sasuke's, as they tried to steady their breathing. 

"It's late, I think you should go home now." Nana smiled sweetly at her boyfriend, watching as he pouted childishly, "Can't I crash here tonight?" Nana giggled as she gently patted his chest and she turned him around, walking the boy to the door. "I'm sorry, but you can't today." Sasuke stopped in his tracks and smirked, "So another time then?" He quickly placed a kiss on her lips after slipping his shoes on, "I'll hold that to you, Nana!" With that, Sasuke was out the door before Nana could protest. She shook her head as she closed her door and locked it, heading into the living room; where Aki was currently playing with some building block toys, in his playpen. 

"Hi my baby boy, how was your day with Chiyo-Obaasan?" Nana asked as she pulled the little child out. Aki made incoherent attempts at conversation with his mother, Nana pretending to understand. "You had a fun time? Mommy's glad, how about we watch a cartoon before bedtime?" She questioned as she kissed Aki's cheek, holding him close as she headed upstairs to her bedroom. Nana put a cartoon on the television in her bedroom, before sitting on her bed with Aki in her lap. As she leaned against the headboard, Aki's laughter filled the air whenever something funny happened on screen. As the episode came to an end, Aki had fell asleep in Nana's lap. She smiled as she ran a hand through Aki's hair, gently. Picking up Aki, she placed him against her shoulder as she slowly slipped off the bed, bringing him to his bedroom.

The next week went by, Nana and Sasuke being the talk of the school quite often. Gasps were heard down the hall as Sasuke surprised Nana with a small bouquet of white, orange and red roses. "Happy birthday, beautiful." Sasuke whispered in her ear, earning a gasp of shock. "Oh my gosh, they're beautiful Sasuke, thank you!" She accepted the bouquet and smelt the flowers fragrance, smiling at her wonderful and kind boyfriend. Sakura grinned at her friends, holding Naruto's hand as they discussed where they were going after school. Nana hummed in thought, "I heard there's this awesome bakery downtown, and not too far from there, there's a steakhouse. We can go there after school?" Sakura's eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically, "They're amazing! We must go!"

Sakura and Nana linked arms as they made their way to their first class of the day, which was the Dramatic Theatre and Arts. Although Nana loved this class, she was beginning to tread going, because of Karin and her wannabe posse. Whenever Sasuke wasn't present, Karin would show up and talk big, putting on a show for the other's that believed Nana shouldn't be with Sasuke. Sakura and Nana found a couple cushions as they sat on the stage, waiting as others followed suit. Nana groaned as Karin plopped herself down with her friends, behind her and Sakura. The pinkette tossed a glare at the red head behind them and snarled at her, "Karin, sit somewhere else." Nana gulped in fear as she heard the ferocity in Sakura's voice, casting a worried glance at the pinkette to her right. Karin smirked as she pushed her glasses up, "Why should I, billboard brow." Karin's red eyes shifted to Nana, who shrunk a little at her leery gaze. "I don't get what all the hype is about you and Sasuke, I mean, look at you?" Karin stated as she waved her hand towards Nana, a frown on her face.

"You're the definition of childish, and you dress like a Disney princess. Who even wears shirts, with puff sleeves anymore? And that ribbon in your hair, my god. Grow up. Sasuke likes bad girls, not daddy's little angel." Nana felt her throat tightening as she was left speechless, her mind doing flips. "Shut up, Karin! You don't even know anything about Nana!" Sakura shouted, alerting the others in the class, also catching the teacher's attention. "You three, to the principal's office." Sakura huffed as she grabbed her belongings, pulling Nana out of the class as Karin tried to pin the blame on them, before making her way out of the class too. 

Once the three were seated in the waiting area, their teacher and the principal brought them into the office. "Haruno-san, Fujikawa-san, Uzumaki-san, care to explain what happened?" Principal Tsunade asked as she folded her hands, leaning forward on the desk. The pinkette and red head immediately shot off, shouting what had happened. "Ladies! One at a time!" Tsunade shouted as she slammed her hands down on the desk, before sighing. "You two wait outside, Fujikawa-san, you stay." Nana tightened her hold on the strap to her bag, trying to will her voice out. Tsunade's assistant Shizune shut the door behind Karin and Sakura, leaving Nana with her teacher, and the two administrative women. 

"K-Karin...Karin was..." Nana clutched a hand to her chest as a sharp pain shot through her, as if her body was telling her not to snitch. Her throat felt as if it was swelling, as she gasped for air. "Fujikawa-san, we need you to calm down and breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth." Shizune instructed, as she touched Nana's shoulders, putting all her attention on the girl. As Nana attempted to hear what was being said, her vision started blurring and her mind went out of focus. Shizune watched as Nana's eyes rolled back and her body started to slump, "Oh my! Fujikawa-san!" Sakura rushed back in as she heard Shizune's shout, noticing Nana's figure being set on the floor. Sakura pulled out her phone, texting Sasuke to come down to the office immediately, before checking on Nana's condition. "Nana, can you hear me? You need to wake up." Sakura said as she carefully shook the girl, watching as Nana came to after a couple minutes. Sasuke rushed to the office in time to see Nana sitting up with the help of Sakura. "What happened?!" Sasuke panicked as he crouched down in front of Nana, frantically checking her over to make sure she was not injured. "Sasuke..." Nana whispered softly.

"Sasuke-san, who gave you permission to leave class?" Tsunade asked as she sighed in exhaustion, watching as the Uchiha boy picked Nana up bridal style, before looking at her. "Asuma-sensei gave me permission, Tsunade-sama."

Nana reached a hand up to her head as a pain shot through, just behind her eyes. "The rest of you, please go back to class. Fujikawa-san, we'll call your parents to come and pick you up." Tsunade stated as she waved Shizune to go call. "I can take her home!"

"That is, if that's alright with you, Tsunade-sama. Nana's family is currently out of town for business." Tsunade watched as Nana rested her head against her boyfriend's shoulder, closing her eyes as she clutched the front of his shirt. "Fujikawa-san, I expect you to make a full recovery, and see you here bright and early monday morning. You two are dismissed for the afternoon." Sasuke carried Nana out to his car, rummaging through her messenger bag for his keys, before unlocking the car. He placed her in the passenger side, buckling up her seatbelt as he placed her bag in her lap. "Good thing I keep my keys with you now. Hold on, I'll get you home soon." As he moved to close the door, Nana reached her hand up, stopping him as she held the bottom of his shirt. "Am I, really not your type? Am I, old-fashioned and childish? Am I, so wrong for you?!" Tears sprung from her eyes as a sob threatened to release from the back of her throat. She was weak, and easy to break. Nana was aware of that.

Sasuke's face was solemn as he bent down and hugged Nana tightly, as much as he could with the seatbelt holding her in place. "I don't even want to think, about where you got that information from. You're not wrong for me Nana, you're good for me." Sasuke pulled away and used the sleeve of his hoodie to dry her tears, placing a kiss on her forehead, then her nose, and then her lips last. "Let's go to my place, you can rest there. When Sakura and Naruto are out of classes, we can go to the bakery and steakhouse you mentioned earlier, O.K.?" Nana nodded as she sniffled, patting and fanning at her eyes to stop the tears as she forced a smile. Sasuke stepped aside, closing the door before he went around and entered the vehicle. 

The drive to the Uchiha Estate was quiet as Nana had dozed off, probably due to the stress Sasuke assumed. Carefully parking the car, he shut off the engine and took the keys from the ignition, placing them in his hoodie pocket before opening his door. He left their bags in the vehicle, carrying Nana up the steps. As he was about to open the door, Mikoto beat him to it. "Sasuke, wha-" Sasuke shushed his mother quietly as Mikoto stepped aside, allowing her son to carry in the sleeping girl. He brought her to his bedroom, gently setting her on the bed before placing a blanket over her. Sasuke's fingers trailed through the loose strands of hair around Nana's face before he stealthily exited the room, and closed the door. "What happened?" Mikoto asked as she stood in the hall, dressed in her outerwear and boots, ready to head out. Sasuke shook his head, "I don't know, Sakura called me to the office, and when I got there, Nana was on the floor in a daze." Sasuke ran a hand through his raven locks before looking at his mother, "Were you going out?" He questioned, Mikoto nodding, "We need groceries, so I'm going out for a bit. Will you two be alright on your own?" Sasuke assured Mikoto that they would be fine, watching as she left the house, locking the door after her. As Nana rested upstairs, Sasuke and Sakura spoke on the phone once their break started. 

"So, Karin was the reason for Nana fainting?" Sasuke spoke his thought aloud as he slouched into the couch, hearing Sakura's sigh through the line. "Probably a part of it..."

"Naruto said the transfer students are Gaara and his siblings, they will be starting next week because of transcript delays." Sasuke smirked, "Gaara, huh...it's been a long time." He responded back, before hearing feet shuffle along the floor upstairs. "I'll see you guys after school." Sasuke hung up as he went to stand at the bottom of the staircase. Nana smiled as she made her way down the stairs, meeting Sasuke on the last step, "How long was I out for?" Sasuke snaked an arm around her waist as he smiled, "About an hour or so, how are you feeling?" Nana wrapped her arms around his torso, "I'm feeling better, although, I am a bit hungry." Sasuke kissed her forehead as he hugged her briefly. Her scent of Vanilla and Coffee wafting into his nose, as he held her. Nana's heartbeat sped up as she held onto Sasuke a little bit tighter. They pulled away after a moment, Sasuke pulling her to the kitchen. "Is something light, good for now? When mom gets home, she should be making lunch by then." Nana smiled as she sat at the island counter, "That's fine!" Sasuke smiled softly as he opened the fridge, pulling out some fruit and yogurt dip. 

They ate at the island as Sasuke asked Nana about what happened with Karin. "I see, I'm sorry Nana. I didn't think she would continue, it's already been two weeks." Sasuke sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Nana laughed awkwardly, pushing her hair back behind her ear, "You're the most popular guy in school besides Naruto, I'm surprised it's only been a couple of girls with Karin. Before I'd be harrassed almost none stop by crazy fan girls." 

Sasuke caught what she had said, raising an eyebrow, "Before, like with your ex?" Nana froze for a moment, catching her slip up. "Uh...Ahh~ Haha, sorry..." She picked at a piece of fruit with her fork, watching it fall over. "What was he like?" Sasuke asked as he picked up a piece of honeydew melon, dipping it into the fruit dip before eating it. Nana looked at her boyfriend in surprise, seeing his curious expression cast towards her. She hesitated, unsure about what to say, "We were both part of the popular crowd, he was two grades above me at the time." She smiled sadly at the countertop, setting her fork down. "He was strong minded and energetic, just like Naruto-kun. We went to a lot of parties, he was a blast." Sasuke hummed as he poked at another fruit. "Did he leave because of Aki?" Sasuke questioned, watching Nana closely. She sighed, leaning her chin on her palm, placing a piece of watermelon in her mouth. After swallowing, Nana shook her head, "He doesn't know about Aki...we had sex on my birthday, and before I was one hundred percent sure I was pregnant, he had already been messaging me less and less."

"Once I told my mother and father that I was keeping Aki, they got me a new phone, new number, and sent me here with a large sum of money and then an allowance every month." Sasuke looked at Nana in shock as he took in the information, "He doesn't know about your kid?!" He shouted out, almost falling off his seat. Nana raised an eyebrow at Sasuke, staring at his expression of disbelief. "I never got to tell him, and he made it clear by ghosting me, that he got what he wanted and then dumped me." Nana shrugged her shoulders and finished off her fruit in silence. 

A few cities away, graduating from university in a couple months, was Nana's ex boyfriend. An average height male, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes that seemed to reflect the sky itself. He sneezed and looked up at the darkening sky, "Yo, Deidara, we're heading to the bar now, you coming?" 

"Yeah, un." 

He unlocked his phone, staring at the wallpaper, before going to all the messages that never got a response. How he longed to see her face, hear her melodic voice and feel her skin against his again. "Nana, where are you?" He whispered into the cool night air, turning to catch up with his friends. 


	10. 10

Sasuke stared up at his ceiling, deep in thought that night. Who was Nana's ex? Why didn't Nana ever try and reach out to him? Did he actually start ghosting Nana? Or, was there a chance Nana's family got involved?

Sasuke recalled his father's words back from their dinner a week ago, "Could it be...that Nana's family made a deal with her ex, because of the merger?" He whispered aloud, even though no one was there to answer. Sasuke could think of a few people that fit Nana's description among some of Itachi's friends, but he couldn't just assume they were her ex. Sasuke groaned in frustration, running his hands through his raven hair. "Maybe Itachi knows who Nana's ex is." 

'Nii-san, when are you coming home next?' 

Sasuke sent off the message and waited patiently for a reply, scrolling through his instagram feed. As he was scrolling, Sasuke found himself going through Itachi's following list. He clicked on a few accounts, checking them out, when one caught his eye. The account consisted of different forms of art, along with group photos with friends. One of the photos specifically grabbed Sasuke's attention. Standing next to Itachi while holding onto a skateboard, was a young male with bright blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair, half tied up. Sasuke recognized a few others in the photo with his brother as well, but, something about the blonde seemed to get him thinking. 

Although it was a photo, just by the blonde male's smile, Sasuke could almost see a resemblance to his best friend, Naruto. A notification popped up on top of Sasuke's screen, alerting the boy of the reply from his older brother. He immediately clicked on it, reading the response.

'Probably in the second week of February, why? Otouto, do you miss your Nii-san?'

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched at the revolting message his brother sent, deciding to ignore it instead and try to get some sleep.

Monday morning came, and Nana was greeted by Sasuke picking her up from home. Nana stopped by the office first thing, thanking Tsunade and apologizing for the trouble she had caused Friday afternoon. Tsunade shut the office door, sitting on her desk as she crossed her arms. "Are you ready to explain what happened?" Nana nodded, taking a deep breath before explaining why the three girls had been sent to the office that day. Tsunade sighed as she rested her forehead in her hand, "You and Haruno-san both had similar stories, please don't hesitate to ask the teachers for help in these cases. Here at Konoha High, we do not take bullying lightly." Tsunade stated as she grabbed a notebook and pen from her desk, writing something down. 

"I'll speak with Uzumaki-san, you may go now." Tsunade gave Nana a reassuring smile before walking the girl out of the office. Nana smiled as she intertwined her fingers with Sasuke's, kissing his cheek once they were out of view from any teachers. Sasuke smirked as onlookers envied the young couple, some wanting a relationship of their own, while others wanted to be with Sasuke or Nana. "Hey, Nana! Over here!" Sakura called as she waved to her female companion as she stood next to a few of their other friends. Nana ventured over to the pink haired female, smiling as Sakura wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "What's up?" Nana questioned, looking at all the girls. Among her and Sakura was Hinata Hyuga, Ten Ten, and Ino Yamanaka. Nana wasn't super close with the girls, but she was close enough to have friendly conversations and bantering. Ino was dating Sai, a very unsettling boy, who struggled to display emotions and socialize. From what Sakura had mentioned to her, Ino and Sai got together after Ino's failed attempts to capture Sasuke's attention. 

"It's a month away, but, every year Ino throws a Valentine's Day party." Sakura stated as she grinned while Ino excitedly passed a sparkly red envelope to the brunette. "And this, is your invite!" Ino exclaimed as Nana stared at the envelope in shock. She hadn't been to a party since her sixteenth birthday, what if she was out of touch? What if she didn't dress to their standards? Should she even go? Ino saw the conflict flashing behind Nana's concerned baby blue eyes, as she held onto the envelope. "Sasuke goes every year; as his girlfriend, you should feel pride, as you show up to the first major party of the year, by his side!" Ino latched onto Nana as she pleaded, breaking down her barrier and worries. "Oh, alright, I'll come." Nana grinned, hearing her friends cheer in excitement. "Great, we can go shopping for dresses after school, sometime next week. The stores should be launching their new collections by then."

The first bell rang for students to get to class, Sakura and Nana meeting up with their boyfriends on the way to Kakashi's class. As they entered, something every student noticed were the desks. "Oh no, not a new seating arrangement." Sakura whined as she looked at the tables grouped in sets of six. Nana gulped as she looked around the room, trying to find her name along the different groups.

"Nana-chan, over here!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at a group of desks towards the front of the classroom. Nana found her desk, glancing at the other names in their group. Thankfully, she had Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura. Unfortunately, Nana was seated beside Karin, and the nametag of someone she didn't know. Nana sulked as she leaned her back against her seat, slowly sinking lower as Sasuke was on the opposite side, in front of Karin's seat. As more students poured into the room, they also found their new seats. Their teacher watched as all the students trickled in slowly, Karin squealing as she saw her seat was across from Sasuke's. "Sasuke-kun! We're so much closer now!" She blushed as she leaned forward on her desk, her cleavage showing through her low-cut top. Sasuke grunted in annoyance, turning his charcoal eyes towards his irate girlfriend. She physically scooted over to avoid touching Karin in any possible way, even going as far to shuffle the desk slightly, so it revealed a gap. Kakashi cleared his throat as the second bell sounded, signaling any student arrival afterwards, as late. "Alright class, so this morning, our new transfer student is joining us. Please give a warm welcome and be kind." Kakashi stated, stepping into the hall to bring in the new student. 

Nana watched as a boy with hair slightly lighter and brighter than Karin's, walked into the class. His seafoam eyes surrounded by dark eyeliner, bringing attention to them more. Underneath his messy red bangs, Nana could see the outline of red kanji. "Please introduce yourself to the class." Kakashi said, as he stood off to the side. The boy looked around the class, spotting his idiotic blonde friend grinning like usual as he frantically waved. 

"My name is Gaara, I just transferred here from Suna High, which is a few cities away. I like stargazing and I like the beach. I hope we can all be friends." Gaara looked to Kakashi, who pointed him towards the empty desk beside Nana. "Your seat is next to Nana Fujikawa-san, please be seated Gaara-san." Nana raised her hand for the red haired boy, watching as he sat down beside her, "Hello." He greeted her softly, before fist bumping with Naruto in a silent greeting between the two boys. Sakura smiled at Nana, before they started listening to Kakashi's lecture and taking notes. The first half of the class they spent learning the lesson, before being handed their assignments to work on. Nana sped through the assignment, finishing it with fifteen minutes remaining in the class. As she doodled on some blank paper, Gaara watched her from the corner of his eye. "You draw very well." He stated, catching the brunette off guard. "Oh, thank you..." She whispered shyly, putting the paper away as Karin scoffed to the left of her. Nana bit her tongue as she chose to ignore Karin, instead, offering Naruto some help with the assignment. "Naruto-kun, would you like help?" Nana asked, earning a sheepish grin from the blonde, "That'd be great, Nana-chan!" 

Kakashi watched the groups interactions, listening to Nana explain the scenario to Naruto and help him understand why the answer was, what it was. The bell signaling their break went off, students rushing to pack their books up as they left to get drinks and snacks from the cafeteria or nearby vending machines. Nana stood up to stretch, going over to the window to stare outside as Sasuke turned around in his chair, facing his girlfriend. "Nana, did you bring anything to drink or snack on?" She shook her head, turning to face her boyfriend. "I forgot to." She replied, fiddling with the sleeves of her thin button up cardigan. Sasuke stood from his seat, poking Nana in the forehead with his index and middle finger, "I'll go grab you something." He smiled towards her before leaving, Sakura giggling as she leaned on Nana's dazed form. 

"You two are so cute, don't forget to invite me to the wedding." She grinned as Nana squeaked in embarrassment, "Sakura-chan! Please don't joke about that!" "Who'd ever marry that fat pig? Sasuke, can do way better." Karin gestured to Nana's baggy clothing which sat loosley on her body. Sure, she was a bit bigger than she used to be, but Nana couldn't help that. Her body had changed to bring Aki into the world, and she had slowly grown to accept that.

"Shut up, Karin. You're just jealous that Sasuke chose Nana, and not your ugly mug." Sakura chimed back, glaring at the red headed vixen. Karin's face fumed as she slammed her hands on top of her desk, "What did you just say to me?!" Karin's glare intensified as she saw Nana stifle a laugh behind Sakura, "You bitch! What's so funny to you?!" Karin snapped, Nana's eyes widening in shock at the red heads outburst, as she caught Kakashi walking back into the classroom. "Uzumaki-san, principal's office, now." Karin froze as she frantically turned to apologize and play the victim card, "Sensei, it wasn't me. I didn't do anything wrong, Nan-" Surprisingly, Gaara intervened, "Nana, what? She was minding her own business, joking with a friend." Karin turned her burning red eyes towards the new student, before following Kakashi out of the classroom. 

"Wow, thanks Gaara." Sakura said as Naruto and Sasuke came back with the snacks and drinks for everyone. "Here, apple juice and some fresh fruit from the cafeteria." Sasuke carefully handed Nana the items as they sat together, Nana poking her straw into the juicebox and sipping the sugary liquid. "Oh yeah, we saw Karin storming down the hall with sensei, did we miss something?" Naruto asked, confusion etched on his slightly tanned face. Sakura shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing much, just karma catching up to her." 

"Kakashi-sensei caught her in the act of bullying Nana-san." Gaara chimed as he rested his head on his crossed arms which were resting on his desk. Sasuke looked at Nana with concern, but Nana just smiled at him, grasping his hand in hers, "I'm fine Sasuke, I won't let Karin's words bother me anymore." Sasuke placed a kiss on her forehead, Gaara watching the interaction with intrigue. "You're an odd couple." He stated simply, just observing the differences between the two. Sasuke's eyes turned icy as he got defensive, "How so?" Nana heard the sour tone to his voice about to interrupt, before she heard Gaara chuckle. "I don't mean it in a bad way, Sasuke." Gaara smirked at the Uchiha as he sat up, looking Sasuke in the eyes. "You're the cool kid that's crowded by girls that go crazy for you, while she is the smart and innocent girl." Sasuke smirked at the description, chuckling to himself, "Is that so..." Sasuke's charcoal eyes peered into Nana's, his smirk making her heart beat faster and her face heat up. 'Oh Sasuke, please don't stare at me with that expression any longer, I might die.' Nana thought as her cheeks tinted red. 

Oh, what that boy does to her brain.


	11. 11

The month seemed to fly by the teens, bringing them to the biggest event of the new year, Ino's Valentine's Day party; which just so happened, to fall on a Friday. As soon as Sasuke and Nana entered their school's building, girls flocked over to Sasuke; aggressively pushing and shoving each other, as they tried to give the school heartthrob their chocolate. Nana managed to sneak away with her new friend Gaara's help, breathing a sigh of relief as she watched her helplessly stuck boyfriend. She giggled before thanking the red haired boy next to her, his black lined eyes staring off in another direction. 

Nana followed his gaze towards a very petite girl with a short blue bob and pale skin, standing in front of what was presumably, her locker. "See something you like?" Nana asked after standing there for a couple minutes, watching as Gaara nearly jumped out of his skin. He faked a cough as if to clear his throat, and looked away from the blue haired female across the hall. "It's nothing, don't worry about. We should probably save Sasuke-san, before the bell go-" Just as Gaara was about to say it, the school bell signalled. Nana used the quick distraction from the bell to yank her boyfriend out of the hoard of hormonal females, pulling him along to their first class of the day. As they arrived to their seats, Sasuke slumped into his chair as he dumped the chocolates on his desk. 

Nana smiled sympathetically at Sasuke, deciding to keep her gift for him, inside her bag. Naruto and Sakura eventually made their way in, extra lovey dovey in their matching cardigans. Sasuke glared at his best friend, noticing not a single box of chocolates. "OI! Teme! Can I have some?" Naruto quickly asked upon seeing the large pile, "Where's yours? Dobe." Sasuke asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the chair's back. Naruto frowned as he took a minute to think about it, scratching his chin in thought, "It's weird, no one came up to me this year to give me any..." Nana watched Sakura shake her head at her blonde boyfriend, before pulling her gift out for him and handing it to him. "Happy Valentine's, Naruto-kun." Sakura blushed as she kissed his cheek before Kakashi-sensei came strolling into the class. 

"I know this is a little old for High School students, but, the staff and administration have agreed to let all of you exchange your Valentine's this morning. You have ten minutes to visit and exchange any gifts, then it's time to start class." Kakashi announced, earning awes and cheers from some of the students in the class. Nana grinned and nudged Gaara with her elbow, "That gives you time, to tell that pretty blue haired girl how you feel." Gaara's face flushed as he shook his head and waved his hands in refusal. Nana frowned and watched as Gaara cast his eyes downwards, "We hardly know each other, Nana-chan..." Gaara whispered, the group watching as people started heading out of the class. Nana's eyes softened as she placed a comforting hand on Gaara's shoulder, "Valentine's Day, is a day to try. You'll never know, unless you try, right? Gaara-kun." His seafoam eyes gazed into Nana's baby blues before he pulled up all his courage and stood from his seat. "You're right, thank you Nana-chan!" Gaara called out as he left the classroom, earning a few curious gazes that she ignored. Sasuke smirked as he watched his girlfriend play matchmaker. "Are you an angel of love today, Nana?" He asked, watching her turn an alluring shade of pink.

Nana looked at the empty seat to her left, a certain red haired vixen absent from class once again. Nana hummed as she looked back at Sasuke, her long eyelashes fluttering softly above her eyes. "Maybe, only to those I like." Nana grinned. Sasuke chuckled, the group waiting for Gaara to return.

Nana watched the clock and the door, as the ten minutes were almost up, and their red headed friend had yet to return. "Do you think everything is going alright?" Nana questioned with worry, before turning back to the door just in time to see Gaara. He sat down quietly, and Nana's blue eyes stared at him intensely. "So, how did it go?" Gaara's face was tinted pink, and he grinned, "I asked her out to Ino's party tonight, she said yes." Nana cheered quietly for Gaara, "Congrats!"

Sasuke glanced at his phone as he pulled it from his pocket, opening it to look at the newly received message from Itachi. 

'See you tonight at the party.'

"Itachi is back in town, he'll be at Ino's party tonight."

Sasuke said before their teacher got everyone started on their lesson for the day. 

After school, Nana was chatting with Ino and Sakura while waiting for their boyfriends, "Hey Nana, why don't you come over early and get ready with us?" Ino suggested as she shoved her phone into her pocket after responding to some texts. Nana smiled and politely declined, "Sorry, Ino-chan, I have some things to do at home first, so I'll head over with Sasuke after that." Ino pouted while Sakura hummed in thought, "Now that I think about it, Sasuke-kun is the only one that's been to your house." 

Nana laughed anxiously, feeling herself beginning to panic. "Ah, is that so? I hadn't thought about it!" She chimed, and clutched her left arm with her right hand, Sakura leaned in with a devious smirk on her face, "Has Sasuke-kun spent the night yet?" Nana's face burned bright red at the thought, completely forgetting about her previous issue. Nana waved her hands back and forth profusely, stuttering in embarrassment, "O-O-Of c-course n-not!" Sakura grinned at her best friend, smacking her back playfully, "I'm just kidding, Nana. It's too early for you guys to have done something." Nana looked to the ground shyly as she whispered to her pinkette friend, "H-Have you and Naruto-kun..." She trailed off as her face stayed the same bright red, Sakura blushing as well. Nana looked at her friend, realizing what her silence meant as Ino stared at her in shock. "YOU TWO ALREADY HAVE?!" Sakura slapped a hand over the blonde's mouth, shushing the Yamanaka girl. 

"Sorry, we kept you girls waiting!" Naruto shouted as he jogged over to the three females, Sasuke and Sai trailing behind the blonde boy. Ino's eyes were still as wide as saucers, as she gaped at the couple as they shared a quick kiss. 

Nana looked away from Sasuke as dirty thoughts filled her head, chiding herself mentally for thinking such lewd thoughts about him. She jumped slightly as Sasuke's arm draped around her shoulders and his warm lips pressed against her temple, "You ready to go?" He whispered just above her ear, causing a shiver to travel down her spine. "Yeah, I'm ready." She nodded, smiling at Sasuke sweetly. He waved to their group as they all pulled apart, leaving the school grounds with Nana. 

As they entered Nana's house, they both greeted Chiyo, who was feeding Aki in the kitchen while humming what sounded like a lullaby. "How were your classes today?" Chiyo asked as Nana and Sasuke sat at the kitchen table, setting their items down on the top of the table. Nana sighed, "Classes were good, this morning the administration and teachers decided to let everyone do their Valentine's exchange during first period." Chiyo chortled as she noticed the large piled in Sasuke's open backpack. "You must be popular, my grandson used to bring home lot's of chocolate too." Nana smiled as Chiyo went along and patted Aki until he burped, "Is your grandson doing well?" Nana asked as Chiyo passed the young mother her baby, and took a seat across from her. 

"Why yes, he's actually visiting this week, he has some party with his friends this evening, so I won't see him much today." Nana smiled, while Sasuke was quiet with thought, 'Could he be one of Itachi's friends?' Sasuke was pulled from his thoughts as Aki's tiny hand curled into his shirt's sleeve. The Uchiha boy stared in shock as Aki's shiny blue orbs watched him curiously, little attempted words escaping his mouth. "You want to see me?" Sasuke questioned, knowing he wouldn't get an eligible answer. Nana passed Aki over carefully, an endearing smile finding its way onto her face. Nana got up from her seat, grabbing her camera from the living room bookshelf. She silently snuck a couple photos of the two boys together, before setting the camera on her kitchen counter. "I like this side of Sasuke Uchiha, more." She grinned as her boyfriend playfully glared at her, "More than what?" 

Nana hummed, "More than the rude, obnoxious Sasuke Uchiha." She placed a kiss on his cheek before pulling away quickly, "I'm going to change, and then I'll make us something to eat before we have to leave for Ino's place." Sasuke and Chiyo sat in silence for a moment before Chiyo broke it, "She seems brighter now." Her wrinkled smile was warming as Sasuke listened to her speak, "I consider Nana like a grandchild to me, young man. Since she came into my life, I had never seen her the way she is now. You're changing her." Chiyo looked into Sasuke's dark eyes, "Don't hurt her, she's been through so much already." Sasuke glanced at the table as he nodded, running one of his hands through Aki's soft brown hair. 

"I promise I won't purposely hurt Nana, she means a lot to me." Sasuke promised as he met Chiyo's eyes once more, meaning every word he said. 

The evening slowly came and Nana soon found herself staring at the large white door to Ino's house. The music was booming through the walls already, a sense of nostalgia coming over her as she opened the door, Sasuke right next to her. "You're here! Come in, come in!" Ino sang as she pulled them further into the party after shutting the door. Ino led the two over to their friends, Nana immediately seeing Gaara with the girl he asked out earlier, during school. 

"Hey! Gaara, care to introduce us to your date?" Nana asked as she smiled at her friend, his eyes brightening ever so slightly, "Nana-chan, Sasuke-san, this is Hitomi-chan, she's in Ino's class." Gaara introduced Hitomi, who smiled as a greeting. Hitomi and Gaara had the same kind of alternative fashion. As the party got louder and more people showed up, Nana decided to head outside for a breath of fresh air. "Want me to come with you?" Sasuke asked as he stopped speaking to Kiba Inuzuka, one of his friends from the other class. Nana shook her head and smiled, "I'll be right back, I just need a minute." Sasuke nodded and watched as his girlfriend pushed herself through the crowd of dancing and drinking teens, before he continued his conversation with Kiba. She sighed as she stretched her arms above her head, once she'd gone out onto the patio. The stars were out and the night was quiet. Nana pulled her cardigan close, feeling the slight chill from the February air. 

Deciding she had spent enough time outside, Nana turned to head back inside, bumping into someone who was coming out of the door. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention to...whe-" She trailed off as she stared at the person in front of her, stunned. Almost as if Nana had seen a ghost, she blinked once, then twice. He was still there, standing in front of her. 

"Nana, is it really you?" 

His caring and soft voice, breaking down her walls that she built up. His cerulean blue eyes that sparkled like the ocean water during summer, and his straight long blonde hair that never seemed to tangle. She was frozen, unable to form a sentence as he immediately wrapped his strong, warm arms around her. Nana stiffened as he let out a long sigh of relief, "I finally found you."


	12. 12

Nana's mind was blanking out as she tried to process everything thrown at her. Deidara was here, and he was holding onto her so tightly, as if to say he wasn't going to let her go again. After a moment, Nana snapped out of her thoughts and struggled in Deidara's grasp.

"D-Deidara, l-let me g-go!" She stammered out hysterically as she felt her breathing becoming obstructed. She weazed as she wiggled and squirmed in his hold, feeling his arms loosen as he noticed the odd change in her behaviour. "Oi, Nana, un! Breathe, just breathe. What's wrong?" Deidara held her shoulders and distanced himself from her, to an arms length reach. Nana held her head as she shook it back and forth, in denial of everything happening. 

"Why...why...why now?" She panicked as she stared at the patios wooden boards, no longer hearing the music from inside the house. 

Somewhere inside Ino's house, Sasuke and Itachi sat in a less noisy area of the house, conversing amongst themselves. Sasuke's eyes scanned the room, as he searched for his girlfriend whom had yet to return from her brief break. Itachi noticed his brother's concerned expression, even if the younger Uchiha was trying to come across as subtle. "What's wrong, Sasuke?" Sasuke snapped his head towards his brother before shaking his head, "It's nothing, Itachi, I have some questions to ask you..." Sasuke trailed off as he looked down at his red solo cup. Itachi raised an eyebrow before leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and his chin on his hands. "Go ahead, I'll always try my best to answer anything you want to know, Otouto." 

Sasuke glanced around, making sure no one nosy was around, "Nana Takagi, do you know her?" Itachi blinked, before humming as he glanced at his brother, "I do, our families do business together. Although I haven't seen Nana in quite a while, I am close with her brothers and sister. Why?" Sasuke's gaze hardened on the liquid courage in his cup, taking a sip before answering, "Did you ever meet Nana's ex boyfriend?" Itachi turned his gaze to the hardwood flooring beneath them, releasing a long sigh. "I know him, very well. Sasuke, what is this about?" Itachi questioned, concerned about his younger brother. Sasuke turned his onyx eyes to his older brother's matching ones, "They...he and Nana...ugh!" Sasuke groaned as he gulped down his drink and set the cup down forcefully. Itachi pulled Sasuke up from the couch, "Let's go talk somewhere else." 

Itachi led his younger brother to the front entrance, the two standing outside. Unbeknownst to the two Uchiha brothers, Karin was waiting on the other side, eavesdropping on them. 

"What about Nana and him?" Itachi asked, now that they were alone. Sasuke clenched his fists and grit his teeth as he remembered that Nana's ex ghosted her. "Why did he leave her? Why did he stop talking to her? Why...why did he leave her before she could..." Sasuke rambled on incoherently, "Before what, Sasuke, what are you going on about?" 

"They have a baby, Nii-san..." 

Deidara watched as Nana was close to tears, her smaller form shaking as she closed her eyes and choked back a sob. "I'm sorry!" Nana broke out of Deidara's hold, and pushed passed him into the house, frantically searching for a familiar head of raven locks. "Hey Nana! Where were you?" Sakura questioned, tipsy as she pulled her friend towards their group. Nana stumbled as she tripped over someone's foot, pulling her wrist from Sakura's grasp. "I-I-I'm...so-sorry, I-I h-have to leave!" Sakura called after Nana, but she'd already bolted away. Their group all watched as her mid length chestnut hair disappeared in the crowd, "Sakura-chan, where's Nana-chan going?" Naruto asked as he looked down at his girlfriend, she shook her head with worry. "I don't know. Naruto, I think she was crying..." Sakura whispered to her sober boyfriend, staring in the direction Nana ran off. Naruto set a gentle hand on Sakura's head, getting her attention, "I'll go check on her and Teme."

Naruto kissed Sakura's forehead and the rushed off after Nana. "Oi! Nana-chan!" He called as he found her searching the house for Sasuke. "Naruto-kun...I need to go home." Nana pleaded as tears were slowly falling down her face, the Uzumaki blocking her from others viewsite. He took off his hoodie, draping it over her form and hiding her face, "I'll take you home, Teme can't drive." 

The front door opened to Sasuke and Itachi walking in, and Naruto gave the younger Uchiha a stern gaze, "Nana, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked as he stepped up the her, his hands cupping her cheeks, "I-I'm not feeling well, Naruto-kun is d-driving me home." Nana lied through her teeth, forcing a weak smile at her boyfriend. Itachi watched as the two left, before realization hit as to why Sasuke was asking so many questions about her, "You're dating her." He stated sadly, Sasuke watching as his best friend led his girlfriend to his car and drove off. 

"We'll talk more at home tomorrow, I've got to check on a few people." Itachi walked off, pulling his phone out and calling Deidara. 

"Where are you?" Itachi asked as he heard Deidara pick up the call, "Just in the back, yeah..." Itachi hung up and moved through the crowd, joining the blonde out on the patio. "You saw her." Itachi calmly stated the obvious, as his blonde friend was hunched over, his hair just barely hiding the tears that were streaming down his face. "Ah..." Deidara whispered painfully, his hand blocking his eyes from the front, resting at his forehead. 

Itachi sat in the empty seat next to Deidara, placing a comforting hand on the artist's shoulder. "Did you get to talk?" Itachi asked after Deidara sat up, his tears stopped for the time being. "I couldn't, un. She was panicking and hysterical, and she just kept saying 'why', yeah." The blonde looked towards his friend, "Seeing her like that, I just know, it was somehow my fault."

Nana spent the rest of the weekend with Aki, wallowing in self pity and the shame she felt. Why would Deidara hug her so tightly, when he left her after using her body? Why did he sound so sincere, when he said he finally found her? Why did Nana want to stay in his warm embrace? And, did Nana still have feelings for Deidara?

Nana glanced at the clock, as she sat awake in her bed, feeling emotionally drained. It was Monday morning, and the teen hadn't slept a wink the night before. Her phone buzzed with a morning greetings from her friends and her boyfriend. Opening Sasuke's text, Nana smiled weakly at the photo he sent and the message.

'Good morning Nana, I'll pick you up today, along with this guy.'

In the photo was Sasuke, and a decently sized teddy bear. "What a dork." She whispered to herself as she dressed for the day and applied some makeup to hide her tired eyes. Nana sipped her coffee as she waited for Chiyo to show up, listening as the elderly woman opened the front door. "Please Sasori, I'm not that old, you can go now." Chiyo dismissed and shut the door to Nana's house, the young woman standing at the kitchen entrance now. "Was that your grandson?" Nana asked as she smiled at Chiyo, earning a grumble and a nod as the older woman bickered about him. "Sometimes that boy just doesn't get it, Nana-chan. I'm old, but I can walk myself just fine." Nana let out a small laugh, hanging Chiyo's coat for her, "Let him worry about you while he can, Chiyo-san." 

Nana let out a yawn, and Chiyo analyzed her form, "You stayed up all night, didn't you?" Nana blinked before nodding, "I couldn't sleep, I'll be alright though." Chiyo grabbed Nana's hands, squeezing softly as she looked her in the eyes, "You should try and talk to him, Nana-chan." Nana smiled and pulled her hands away, "I'm sure we ran into each other by coincidence at that party, besides, there's nothing to talk about." The sound of a car pulling up into the front of her house, was her queue to grab her school bag and leave. 

"Thanks Chiyo, I'll see you after school." Nana slipped her shoes on and exited her home, rushing into Sasuke's vehicle. "Good morning, Nana." Sasuke said as he placed a kiss to her hand, "Are you feeling better?" Nana smiled and nodded her head after greeting him back. As they drove to school, Nana felt her phone buzz once in her pocket, and then multiple vibrations followed. Confused, the brunette pulled the device out, answering an incoming call from Sakura. "Sakura-chan, what's up?" Nana asked as soon as she answered, "There's people here to see you...you better hurry to school."

Sasuke glanced at Nana as they turned onto another street, almost to their school, "What did she want?" He asked and Nana looked at him with concern, her voice laced with confusion, "Supposedly there's people at the school, that want to see me?"

As Nana and Sasuke walked to the front entrance, they saw three figures waiting with her friends. Nana's eyes widened and she let Sasuke's hand go, rushing forward. "NANA!" The three shouted as Nana jumped into their wide open arms, "Akito, Akira, Nami!" Akito hugged Nana tightly, whispering into her ear, "I've been so worried about you, Na-chan."

"Nii-san..." Nana whispered as she tightened her grip around her older brother's torso. After a minute or so, they pulled away and Nana looked at all her siblings, "Why are you all here?" The siblings all looked at each other before nodding, Nami smiling over to Sakura, "Thank you for calling her for us, can we have a moment alone?" Sakura nodded before looking at Nana once before heading into the school with the others. That left Nana with her three siblings and Sasuke, "Sorry kid, we have family matters to dis-" Akira was cut off as Nami elbowed his ribcage, "You dunce, that's obviously Nana's new boyfriend. Didn't you see them holding hands as they were coming up here." Akira and Nami started arguing as Nana and Sasuke watched the siblings bickering back and forth, until Akito stopped them. 

"So, why are you here? How did you even find me?" Nana asked as she crossed her arms, Akito's eyes softening as he gazed at his little sister. "We know Nana, we know why you left home."


	13. 13

Nana spent the morning classes in a daze, wondering what her siblings were currently doing. Although it had been tempting, she had decided not to skip her classes. Nana asked Akito and her other two siblings to meet her after school, so they could talk in depth.

'Maybe I should have gave them my address...' Nana thought with a hum. "Fujikawa-san, please answer this question out loud." Jumping slightly due to the startle, she first glanced at the board and cleared her throat, before standing up. After solving the problem out loud, the teacher double checked the answer at the back of their textbook before sighing, "Please be seated, and try to look like you're paying attention." Naruto chuckled quietly as Nana seated herself, discreetly kicking the blonde lightly in the shin, from underneath their desks. Sakura stared bemused, as Gaara smirked at their semi-childish antics; the group continuing to listen to the rest of their teacher's lecture.

The bell for lunch brought everyone together, deciding for once, to eat in the cafeteria. Sakura and Nana were patiently waiting in line for the concession stand, to get snacks for themselves and their friends. As they laughed about a few random things that had happened in class, a familiar and obnoxious redhead cut them in line. Her cronies looked at Nana with disgust after they had finished giggling amongst each other. "Hey, the line is back there, Karin!" Sakura declared, pointing her thumb over her shoulder and towards the back of the line. Karin just shrugged her shoulders and pushed up her glasses, "So, what are you two going to do about it?" As she stuck her nose in the air, something inside Sakura snapped, moving her body forward to confront Karin. "You bit-" Nana interrupted Sakura by pulling the enraged pinkette with her, out of the line. "Let's just grab something from the vending machines; look, they're free right now!" Nana put a smile on her face in an attempt to cheer her friend up. 

Sakura grumbled as they stood in front of the vending machine, pressing the buttons with extra force. "You should have told her off, Nana. Karin needs to be put in her place." The pinkette grabbed her snacks, moving to the side so Nana could select her items after inserting her money. Nana hummed as she bent down to grab her food, "It's not worth it, Sakura-chan." 

As the girls sat with their friends and boyfriends, Nana passed Sasuke a packet of Cashews. "I thought you were going to the concession?" Sasuke asked, noticing nothing but vending machine snacks, and Nana's eyes that immediately looked away from his. "The line was too long..." She whispered, pulling the corner of the plastic wrapper to open her pastry, taking a bite once done. Sasuke watched as Karin's group stepped away from the counter, placing a comforting arm around his girlfriend's waist. His warm breath fanned against Nana's ear as he leaned in, "Just ignore Karin, and thank you, for the cashews." He kissed the side of her temple, Naruto jokingly gagging before his girlfriend slammed her elbow into his gut, affectionately. 

Sasuke smirked before opening the snack, ignoring the feeling of a lingering gaze on his form. The afternoon seemed to fly by, and Nana was soon being tackled in the parking lot, by her older sister. 

Akito and Akira stood against their vehicle, seemingly bickering. As Nana pulled away from Nami, she smiled at Sasuke, who stared at her with worry etched deeply in his onyx eyes. "Are you sure, you don't want me to come with you?" Her baby blue eyes closed as she placed a short and soft kiss on his lips, before pulling away. "I'll be alright, besides, you said Itachi wanted to do something with you today." Sasuke groaned but nodded, patting Nana's head as he promised to text her later that evening. Nana and Nami glanced at the vehicle before shooting a playful look at each other. Nana grinned as she snuck around the vehicle and into the driver's' seat, before calling out to her siblings, "I'm driving, let's go!" Nami had already seated herself in the passengers side, when the men realized they were arguing 'shotgun' for nothing.

Grumbling, the two men sat in the back, strapping themselves in as Nana started off. 

Karin watched as Nana pulled out of the parking stall, before slowly following after her at a distance. Karin glanced down at the camera sitting in the cubby of her dashboard, a wicked smile coming to her face. "Once the school sees what you're hiding, you'll wish you had stayed away, from my Sasuke."

Sasuke mentally groaned as he heard the loud laughter coming from his family's living room, slipping off his shoes after he closed the front door. "Sasuke, is that you?" Itachi called out before peering around the entrance to the living room. Sasuke entered the conjoined area, where a few of his older brother's friends sat on the couches, taking turns playing Mortal Kombat. A mop of blonde hair entered his eyesight, and Sasuke recognized the male from one of the photos he'd snooped on an instagram account. Itachi introduced Sasuke to the group before the younger Uchiha challenged the blonde, now known as Deidara, to a round.

"Don't be a sore loser, when I beat you, yeah." Deidara smirked as he tried to rile up the younger Uchiha. Sasuke just put on his infamous bad boy smirk, "Oh please, you'll be weeping when I use you, to mop the floor." Itachi chuckled as Sasuke and Deidara versed each other, the others placing bets on the two. "My bet's on Sasuke." Itachi announced as he placed money into the pile.

"So, before I open this door, you have to make me a promise." Nana said as she hardened her gaze on all of her siblings, "No worries, Imouto-chan! I'll promise anything!" Akira chimed, earning a whack on the head from Nami, crossing her arms as she waited for Nana to continue. "This...has been my life for almost two years. This secret has been kept for so long, and I need it to stay that way. Anything you see and hear beyond those doors, stays inside." Nana finished sternly, her fierceness sending shivers down Nami and Akira's back. The siblings all agreed to their sworn secrecy, before Nana opened the door, allowing them to all flood into her abode. Nana slipped her shoes off and dropped her bag, along with the teddy bear from Sasuke, on the ground next to the hallway closet. 

"Chiyo-san, I'm home!" Nana announced her entrance as she shut the door behind her siblings. As Chiyo stepped out of the kitchen with an almost sleeping Aki, she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Nana-chan, I'm sorry, I didn't hear that you had guests!" Nana smiled at the elderly women as she calmed her down, "Chiyo-san...these are my siblings. They know..." Chiyo's eyes widened as she looked at Nana, who seemed to be forcing down any feelings of anxiety, before she nodded. Chiyo carefully passed Aki over to his mother, before bowing to Nana's siblings. "I don't know how you came to find out, but please, don't hurt my dear Nana-chan." Chiyo begged as she looked up into their many different expressions. Nami was the first to come forward and set a comforting hand on Chiyo's shoulder, "You have nothing to worry about, Nana's my little sister. I could never hurt her." Nami's smile was genuine, and it seemed to please Chiyo.

"This is Aki, my son. This is Chiyo-san, she's helped me, from the beginning of our journey." Nana smiled softly as she leaned her cheek atop of Aki's head. The trio greeted and thanked Chiyo, before she headed home to let the family talk in peace. Nami stared at the almost miniature Nana, reality slowly settling in that they had a nephew, and that Nana had a son!

"May I?" Nami asked as she stood in front of Nana, holding out her arms. Nana carefully placed Aki in her older sister's arms, and adjusted her form a bit. While Akira and Akito studied the infant, Akira crossed his arms, "At least, there's no resemblance to the father." Nana looked to the floor, rubbing her arm for comfort, "Yeah, aha, you never did like Deidara..." Nana whispered as her heart panged in hurt, forcing out a laugh. The siblings moved to the living room, and Nana started retelling everything that had happened. From her birthday, up until now. Nana even told them about the deal her mother and father made, all the pieces of the puzzle slowly being put together. Akito ran a hand through his short hair, as he realized just how much their parent's actions had hurt Nana. 

"They paid your boyfriend too..." Akira whispered, as he looked at his hands. Akito and Nami stared at him in disbelief, "How'd you know that?" Nana's brows furrowed in confusion as she looked at Akira, "What are you talking about?" Nana asked as the second youngest looked at his sister with sorrowful eyes, "I overheard them, they said they should stop paying both of you. I thought you were still together, but I see that's not the case." 

Nana looked at her sister who held onto Aki, before she looked at her slightly shaking hands. She swallowed down the lump in her throat as she shakily spoke, "Are you saying, that Deidara is being paid to stay away from me?" Her question was just above a whisper and Akito shook his head, "We don't know, Nana. It could have been business related, but we aren't sure." Nana's mind swirled with thoughts and conversations, one forcing itself into her mind. "The merger..." She whispered with wide eyes, meeting her siblings confused ones. 

"A merger? Like a business merger?" Nami asked, tracing Aki's back in a soothing manner. "A marriage and business merger, with Sasuke Uchiha, from the Uchiha Family." Akito stated, pulling up a file on his phone, "Mother was planning the interview after Nana's birthday party, but she said they postponed it until she was done high school, remember?" Nami and Akira thought about it for a moment before Nana gritted her teeth. 

"So, my relationship was destroyed, because of their greed? The reason I had to do this alone, was because of them?" Tears were slowly leaking out from her eyes, and Nana sniffed, in a useless attempt to stop the them. 

Deidara looked at Sasuke and Itachi in disbelief as if he'd just been caught on some reality prank show. "What did you say? Un..." Sasuke gulped as he shot a side glance towards Itachi, before looking back to the blonde in front of him. "You and Nana, my current girlfriend, have a child together..." Sasuke repeated, as he sat up straight. Deidara started laughing as he looked towards Itachi, and then back towards Sasuke. "You're joking, yeah. Haha, good one, you almost had me there, un." Deidara watched as Sasuke clenched his fists, and shook his head, "It's not a joke, I have proof." 

Sasuke opened his phone and went to his chat with Nana, finding a photo she'd sent him. He held the device out towards the blonde male, who carefully took it with wide eyes. "Nine months after her Sixteenth birthday, she had Aki." Deidara's mouth was agape, with no words coming out as he tried to form a sentence. "Nine months...Sweet Sixteen..." His face paled as his stomach flipped, bile rising quickly. Deidara ran to the washroom, and emptied his stomach into the toilet as he processed the information that his best friend and his younger brother had thrown at him. After wiping the edges of his mouth and flushing the toilet, Deidara leaned against the counter in the bathroom. 

"I know it's a lot to take in, but Sasuke felt guilty about you not knowing. Although that's your son, Nana is Sasuke's girlfriend. Try not to interfere with their relationship, if you do confront her." Itachi stated, leaning against the open door. Deidara glared, "She's my girlfriend, un! I didn't break up with her, yeah! I just-"

"You stopped talking to her, for months. You left her, as much as that hurts you to say out loud." Itachi set a firm hand on his friend's shoulder, Deidara angrily pushing it off as he hastily made his way back to the living room. He grabbed his car keys, and left the Uchiha household. As Deidara parked in front of Sasori's grandmother's house, he screamed in frustration and anger. As he slammed his fist into the dashboard, he sunk in his seat and rested his forehead on the steering wheel in shame. 

"Nana..."

"I'm sorry, un. I shouldn't have taken the money, un."


	14. 14

Karin watched patiently as the four siblings stood in the doorway, her camera in hand; ready to snap the photographs at any moment. As Nami lifted the sleeping infant to pass him back to his mother, Karin quickly got to work, snapping as many clear shots of Nana and the baby. "This is perfect! These are going to be part of the biggest scandal, that Konoha High has yet to see." She enthusiastically hyped herself up, the thought of ruining the brunette's reputation running through her scheming mind.

Nana would sure be in for a huge surprise, the next morning.

Nana rubbed her tired eyes after she finished putting Aki to bed, for the evening. Everything had been so emotionally draining for her as of late, and it felt like she just couldn't get a break. From their long conversation, the siblings came to the conclusion that, after high school, Nana would be forced into an arrangement with Sasuke Uchiha; as a business merger and a way for Nana's parent's to gain more money. Unfortunately for Nana, until she reaches the age of twenty one, she'd have to force a smile and go along with it. Although they had figured that bit out, that still left Aki out of the equation. 

Nana released a satisfied sigh as she slipped into the bathtub, the hot water warming her tired body and relaxing her aching muscles. 

Did she really want any of this? Did she want to spend the rest of her life, with a boy she was just getting to know? It was hardly passed a month since the two became official; even if Nana liked Sasuke, it wasn't love.

Consistent vibrations coming from her cellphone, pulled the teenager out of her overbearing thoughts, and towards the electronic device. Drying her hands on the towel closest to her, Nana leaned on the edge of the bathtub, taking her phone into her hands. She answered after looking at the caller identification, "Hello?" She answered as she listened to Sasuke shuffle around on the other end of the line, making himself comfortable.

"Hey, how'd everything go?" Sasuke asked as he nervously tapped his pen on the desk before him. He listened to his girlfriend sigh, and could make out the slight sounds of water splashing, through the phone. They were both conflicted, unsure of whether or not, they should discuss their thoughts and also, everything that had happened today. 

"It was a lot to take in, you know? I don't know what to think, about anything right now. Is it too much to ask, for a day with no surprises?" Nana questioned with a forced laugh, leaning back against the wall and base of the bathtub. 

Sasuke bit his lip, guilt eating away at him as he listened to her speak. After hearing that, how could he spill the fact, that he just told her ex-boyfriend, about their love child. 

It wouldn't hurt, to keep it a secret...right?

Sasuke switched the conversation, pretending he needed Nana's help with their assigned homework. Nana laughed as she dried herself off with the towel, watching the water drain from the bathtub, after she had pulled the plug. "The Uchiha, needs my help? I guess I should be flattered." Sasuke chuckled through the phone as Nana changed into her pyjamas, before going down to grab her notes from that afternoon. Nana sat herself at the kitchen table, walking her boyfriend through the steps, a smile on her face as Sasuke got the answer correct.

"Did you want me, to pick you up tomorrow morning?" Sasuke asked Nana, her humming in consideration of his proposal. "As repayment for helping you with your homework, I will accept your offer." The two said their 'goodnights' before their call ended, Sasuke setting his phone down and groaning in confliction, as he ran his hands through his raven hair. The young Uchiha made his way out of his bedroom, slowly making his way to the kitchen, for a late night cup of tea. Mikoto smiled softly at her youngest child, cutting herself off from her current conversation with Itachi, to greet him. Itachi studied his little brother's eyes, seeing the hidden guilt behind them. "You couldn't do it, right?" Itachi asked as Sasuke sat next to him at the island counter, shaking his head in shame. The wiser Uchiha poked Sasuke in the forehead with his index and middle finger, his odd way of showing endearment. 

"You've got time, but don't take too long, Otouto." Sasuke nodded as he rubbed his forehead, before bidding his family a goodnight after a cup of tea.

Although she had a bath the night before, Nana awoke feeling dreadful for the day ahead. It was a feeling, as if something awful was about to happen. She dressed herself in an oversized black hoodie, and a pair of black leggings. Shoving her feet into a pair of light beige uggs, Nana grabbed her school bag and opened the door, ust as Sasuke rang the doorbell. Chiyo said her farewells to the two teens, watching as they left, before closing the door. 

As they drove to school, Sasuke watched Nana from the corner of his eye, feeling the awkward air between each other. "Is everything alright? You're very quiet today." Sasuke stated, while Nana just shrugged her shoulders, "Something feels off, it's making me uneasy." She frowned while Sasuke nodded, watching the road as they drove passed the many shops, on the way to their school. "I'm sure you're just overthinking, because of everything that has happened." The brunette nodded, watching the buildings and people, blur by. As they approached the school parking lot, Nana and Sasuke joined hands after exiting his car and walking into the school together. 

While they walked the halls, Nana felt multiple eyes on her form, slowly beginning to feel self-conscious. Their first class of the day seemed to drag on, Nana's classmates eyeing her up and down, females gossiping and giggling, and the males looking at her in disgust or with smirks. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, as Sasuke's dark eyes scanned their classmates, shutting them up in an instant. As the bell sounded for the break before second period, her eyes travelled to Sasuke and Naruto as they immediately stood up. 

Gaara smiled reassuringly and set a firm hand on her shoulder, "I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure everything will be fine." Nana nodded, but couldn't bring herself to smile, "Yeah..." 

Rushed footsteps sounded and a familiar head of pink, ran into the classroom, "Nana! We need to talk!" She whisper-yelled as she dragged the brunette female up by the arm. Nana stumbled as Sakura pulled her along, Gaara following the two out of the classroom. "Sakura! What's going on?" Nana asked as fear began to strike. Sakura's face was stern and she didn't respond; instead, she continued to drag Nana down the hall to a large crowded area. Upon arriving, Nana saw Sasuke and Naruto attempting to tear down posters and disperse the crowd. With closer inspection, Nana's eyes widened in horror. Plastered all the way down the hall, were posters of Nana and Aki, and the partially cut out forms of her siblings.

"Nana...this-" Her eyes snapped to Sasuke, as he tried to explain. Naruto's ocean blue eyes closing as he looked down, not sure what to do.

Laughter sounded through the crowd, and long red hair was the first thing to poke through the many forms. "Well now, guess little miss Nana, had a huge secret. Huh...guess there's always one teen mom in every school." Karin announced, crossing her arms. Nana glared heatedly at the awful vixen. 

"Well now, isn't this a change? Guess this struck a soft spot?" Nana's face heated up as she felt warm tears streaking down her face. All the humiliation built itself up, and pushed her to the edge. It happened in an instant, and the sound of Nana's hand smacking the redhead across the face, echoed in the now quiet hallway. "You bitch! You have no right, to shame me for having a kid! I'm doing my best, every damn day!"

"Also, all you ever do is oggle my boyfriend. Don't you have anything better to do?!" Nana spluttered out in rage, not caring anymore. Her secret was out, and who else could have shared it with the redhead, besides...Sasuke. Her fierce baby blue eyes turned to her boyfriend, "You were the only one, I told. So, how the fuck did she find out?!" Sasuke's eyes widened as he was thrown under the bus. Along with the shock from Nana's rage, Sasuke snapped back, "How would I know? I don't talk to her!" His face was now in the famous Uchiha glare, a look that Nana wasn't phased by anymore. Karin stifled a laugh, pissing off the brunette and raven, even more. "What is so funny, to you?" 

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, you're the one I heard it from though. Remember? It was at Ino-san's Valentine's Day party; you were so plastered, I really don't blame you for not remembering." Karin swooned as she twisted the events from that night, to fit her narrative. Nana threw her hands in the air as she shook her head, turning to go back to her classroom. Ignoring all her friends calls and shouts, Nana grabbed her belongings and rushed passed oncoming students, towards the exit. 

"Nana!" 

"Nana, wait!" 

She ran as fast as she could, leaving the school grounds to head home. The tears had temporarily stopped, and now it was just obsessive thoughts running throughout her mind. As her breath became laboured and ragged, Nana finally slowed her pace to a jog, then eventually, a slow walk. Using the ends of her sleeves, Nana wiped her eyes as she stopped at the park close to her home, sitting herself in the plastic swing. She released a shaky huff and dug her face into her hands. 

Everything, was just wrong; she knew something bad would happen, and it had. "I shouldn't have trusted Sasuke, with any of this." She mumbled aloud, as the waterworks started back up. 

How could the day get any worse?

The crunching of gravel beneath someone's feet, alerted Nana of her surroundings. The person that spoke, however, wasn't who she expected to hear. "Nana...it's you, yeah?" She sniffled and wiped her eyes, standing up and turning around quickly, to hide her face. "Aha, yeah. Sorry, I can't do this right now, Deidara." Her voice was cracking and breaking, as she tried to hide her tear stricken face from Deidara; attempting to get around without looking at him.

"Nana, wait. I need to speak to you, un!" Deidara grabbed her bicep gently but firm, stopping her in her tracks. "Deidara! I'm not in the mood, for more lies and games; and I certainly don't need anymore surprises!" She freaked and snapped her frustrated gaze towards her ex-boyfriend. Although taken aback, Deidara didn't let go. "You'd never cry, un...what's wrong?" He whispered softly, his cerulean eyes soaking in her appearance. Nana just looked away, in a failed attempt to avoid answering. 

"The Nana I knew, wasn't one to cry without reason. She'd laugh and smile, and always disobey her parents, yeah. She would sneak out with me; and, she made me the happiest guy alive, un." 

Nana sniffled, shaking her head, "If I made you so happy, why did you stop talking to me?" She started, her hands shaking as she forced herself to continue, "Why did you accept their money?" She finished just above a whisper. If Deidara hadn't been holding onto her, he wouldn't have been able to hear it. His toned arms pulled Nana into a tight hug, as he bit his tongue in regret. "I was stupid, un. I took the money to go to school; so I could get a career to make money and support our future, yeah. They told me after, that I couldn't see you again, un." Nana's hands came up and clutched Deidara's sweater, listening to his every word. 

"I'm so sorry, yeah. I should have never taken the money, in exchange for leaving you, un." As his grip on her tightened, Nana's heart pounded. It felt like one of her dreams, hearing him say those words, made her feel so relieved and happy even. 

"You fool, you stupid fool." Nana whispered as she buried her face into his chest, and relaxed in his arms. "I probably deserve that, un."

"I know you said no more surprises, yeah...but I have one more, un." He rested his chin atop her head, as he took in a deep breath. "I want to meet our son, yeah." Her eyes widened for a moment, before she nodded. "A-Alright." They stood there in that embrace, for what felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes at most. 

"I've missed you, so much Dei."


	15. 15

"It's been a tough year for this year's graduating class, but I want to congratulate all of you, for coming this far." Tsunade announced towards the graduating class, Nana and her other friends clapping and cheering in excitement. Some girls were holding back tears, while others were smiling brightly. 

This was the moment they worked so hard for, the reason they pushed to achieve high marks. So much had happened in the past year and a half. Nana was now nineteen years old, with a very happy, almost three year old son, named Aki. As Aki grew older, his once brown hair, had slowly turned blonde, matching his father's. It initially puzzled Nana, but she'd grown to like the change. It reminded her of Deidara, her ex-boyfriend. 

The transition into having her ex-boyfriend back into her life, was a struggle at first. She was hesitant to let him in, and she was untrusting. It had also been a learning curve, for the blonde artist, but he wasn't giving up. He wanted to know what Nana had to struggle with, when he hadn't been there for her, or Aki. Nana smiled as she looked down at her hands which were folded in her lap, remembering Aki's second birthday. 

"Look at you, my little man, you're growing so fast." Nana gushed as she finished dressing Aki in a red plaid long sleeve and a plain black shirt underneath it; paired with light-wash denim jeans and white sneakers. Aki had a pout on his face as his lower lip stuck out. "Why do...me, have to wear this?" Aki asked as Nana finished tying his shoelaces.

"Because mommy and daddy, have a surprise for you!" Nana grinned happily, styling Aki's short blonde hair. After Deidara and Nana reconciled in February; after a long and heartfelt conversation, they had begun to communicate. It had been eight months since Karin had revealed Nana's secret to the entire school, and, since she broke up with Sasuke. Nana knew it was petty to blame him entirely for everything that had happened, but it was still partially his fault. The other one to blame, was herself. Nana was one hundred percent aware of the young Uchiha's reputation, and she knew of the many girls that had been led on by his manipulative charm...but she still fell into the trap.

She should have trampled the growing feelings she'd had for the boy, the day they almost kissed in his car. She should have lectured herself more, and maybe, she would have saved herself from the pain of a second heartbreak. 

"Mommy?" Nana snapped from her thoughts and stood up, pulling Aki up with her, to rest against her side. "Let's go!" She went down the stairs with ease, slipping on her flat sneakers, before grabbing her purse and house key. Outside on the porch, stood Deidara; wearing an outfit similar to Aki's, his long blonde hair was partially pulled up in a half ponytail, while the rest just stayed down. His hands were shoved in his pockets as he stared off at the leaves falling from the trees. As the door opened, Deidara smiled at the two stepping out of the house, "Happy Birthday, Aki. Ready for some fun? Un." Deidara opened the backseat of his jeep, Aki's car seat set up and ready for their adventure. 

Deidara held his arms out to grab Aki and place him in his seat, earning an amused look from Nana, "You sure, you know how to do this?" Her teasing voice questioned, and Deidara's pride swelled as he smirked, "Of course, yeah, just watch." 

Deidara set Aki in the seat and attempted to buckle the toddler in, Nana giggling softly as she set a hand on Deidara's shoulder blade, "Here, you do it like this." Nana guided the blonde, helping him buckle in their son, securely. Deidara chuckled and thanked Nana, before stepping aside and closing the door. "I'm pretty lousy at this parenting stuff, un..." Deidara rubbed the back of his head in shame, as Nana trailed her baby blues to the cement and rocks beneath her shoes. "It gets easier over time, you're doing your best. That's all that matters, Deidara." 

"These last few years, we've had some very exceptional students pass through our halls. One of them, is your Valedictorian, who I will now invite up to the podium." Tsunade continued proudly, her eyes connecting with Nana's. "Nana Fujikawa, please come forth." Nana breathed in, before standing up and making her way to the podium. As she stood in front of everyone, Nana cleared her throat.

"Good evening, 

Friends and family, classmates and teachers, thank you for leading us all into a bright future. High School, it's three years of homework, studying, tests, and the occasional dreaded pop quiz." Nana emphasized, earning a couple chuckles from the audience before continuing, "Although we learned subjects such as English or History, High School also taught us something else." Nana paused as she caught Sasuke's raven eyes watching her intently, "It taught us valuable life lessons, and has helped us grow into the people we are now. High School...taught me how to trust, but more importantly, it showed me the true meaning of friendship."

"Most of you may have heard last spring, about my secret. Well, it's not really a secret anymore, is it?" Nana laughed and some joined her as well, "I was traumatized, and thought I had to do everything on my own, but that wasn't the case. My friends although loud, and sometimes maybe even scary, were always there supporting me. Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki, without you two, I would have locked myself up, inside my house. Gaara, you listened, when I needed someone to, and I couldn't thank you enough." She moved on, staring straight into Sasuke's eyes, "And...Sasuke, you gave me something, that I could never repay. You put my son's long term happiness, before our relationship; I can't thank you enough, for all your support, and for the love you showed to me, in that short time together." Nana broke her eyes away from the raven haired boy, clearing her throat as she focused on everyone. "High School has given me not only friends, but a family I could never replace. I want to thank all our teachers, for instilling the Will of Fire in each and every one of us. I also want to thank our Administrative staff, for helping students that are going through tough times. Without Shizune-san and Tsunade-sama guiding my way, I don't think I would be standing in front of all of you, today."

"We ate together. We studied together. Hell, we even partied together! Now, here we are. Today marks, not the end of our journey, but instead, a brand new beginning. Staring today, we will go off into the world, and become the people of tomorrow. Some of us will go on to University and College, while others will join a career right away. Some will find love and get married, while others will travel the world. Who's to say? I'm ready to close this chapter, and start the next book though. Good luck, and Congratulations everyone, may the Will of Fire live on in us!" 

Nana stepped down from the podium, listening to the loud cheers as she made her way to her seat next to Sakura and Gaara. Sakura pulled Nana into a hug, squeezing the petite girl, "That was beautiful Nana." Sakura pulled away, her eyes glossy, almost as if she was close to tears. The brunette sniffled and blinked back the sudden waterworks, "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

After the ceremony ended, everyone gathered for photos while they still had their gowns and caps on. Naruto's mother excitedly snapped photos of the happy couple, before Sakura and Naruto pulled Nana over, along with Sasuke. Nana looked away from Sasuke as they posed for photos. As she searched the crowd, two blonde heads finally appeared. "Mommy!" Grinning, Nana rushed over to Deidara and Aki, taking her son from his father. "Hi baby, how are you?" Nana asked Aki, kissing his cheek as he wrapped his arms around her neck. "Me kinda hungwe." Aki mumbled as Nana's friends came to see the toddler. 

"Nana-chan, why don't we take a few photos of you and your son in them?" Kushina asked, holding the camera up. Deidara quickly agreed, standing next to Nana before she had the time to protest. Deidara switched out with Nana's friends, moving to stand next to Sasuke, so they could talk. 

"I never got the chance to apologize to you, yeah." Deidara started, watching as Nana laughed next to her friends, "Hn, you don't have to." Sasuke mumbled, his eyes wandering over to Nana. "Maybe not, but I will thank you, un." Deidara smiled softly at his ex girlfriend, before holding a hand out to Sasuke. "For telling me about Aki, thank you, yeah. Now, go talk to her, un."

Deidara roughly smacked Sasuke between the shoulder blades, forcing the Uchiha forward. "Can I take a photo with you two?" He asked awkwardly, slightly cursing at himself for acting so shameful. Nana nodded and shifted Aki slightly, "You can." 

Kushina smiled softly at the two teens, getting a few photos for them before making an excuse to give them some privacy. "I...I want to apologize to you." Nana whispered gently, pulling a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Sasuke shook his head, ruffling his raven hair with his right hand, "I should be apologizing to you. I messed up, and broke the promise I made to you and Chiyo-san. I'm sorry, Nana." Her blue eyes scanned his onyx eyes carefully, capturing everything in her memory, for later.

"You did what you thought was right...I was naive. I didn't think Deidara needed to know, because I was hurting still." Nana confessed, looking up at the sky, "Thanks to Karin, a lot happened." Nana sighed.

Nana had come clean to her parents, not long after she'd reconnected with Deidara. Although Nana never revealed her surname, her secret had been shared with pretty much everyone in their school, breaking their conditions. She lost her monthly allowance, not that it changed much for her. Nana had been pretty frugal with the money, and kept a large sum of it aside, in case of emergencies. Her siblings had also been very generous; getting Nana situated in a new home, along with a vehicle of her own. 

"Sasuke...thank you." Nana smiled as she hugged the raven haired boy with one arm, keeping Aki from being squished. Sasuke relaxed and hugged Nana back, releasing a shaky breath.

"Can we start over?"

THE END

A/N: Welp! Welcome to the END! Sequel will be released soon, I will put the link in another chapter!


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